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Report focuses on the effectiveness of border wall prototypes

A new report from Customs and Border Protection focusing on the border wall prototypes is raising concerns. The report indicates the multi-million dollar mockups fail to meet standards to stop peop...

SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) - A new report from Customs and Border Protection focusing on the border wall prototypes is raising concerns. The report indicates the multi-million dollar mockups fail to meet standards to stop people from breaching the barriers.  

Experts from various agencies contributed to the report, which tested eight prototypes in Otay Mesa for 13 requirements related to breaching, scaling, aesthetics, constructability and design.

While highly redacted, the report shows - during timed scenarios - teams that successfully "breached" the prototypes more than a dozen times.    

“Fundamentally, as a solution for stopping people and dugs, border walls are not the answer,” said Laiken Joedahl with the Center for Biological Diversity.

CBP released the following statement to News 8:  

The eight border wall prototypes were not and cannot be designed to be indestructible. The intent of the Wall Prototype testing was to capture the time each structure impeded attempts to scale and/or breach using common methods not to evaluate the susceptibility to destruction. The time calculations from the testing were important to quantifying the operational value of each design and attribute. By impeding those attempting to enter, the Wall provides additional time that is critical to detection, response and interdiction efforts.

CBP representatives say the prototypes were not tested for digging, but that they had already proven to stand up to most efforts.

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