Border Wall Construction to Start in San Diego

U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that the proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall will get its start in San Diego, California.

The San Diego Tribune reports that 20 selected bidders will be asked to build prototypes of the wall based on the proposals submitted.

Construction will take place in the border community of Otay Mesa, located on the opposite side of the border from Tijuana.

The prototypes are expected to be built adjacent to the border on a quarter-mile section of federal land.

The director of San Diego State University’s graduate program in homeland security, Eric Frost, said that it makes sense to build the prototypes in Otya Mesa because it is home to one of the two border crossings in San Diego. The location will give the bidding companies that are selected to build prototypes the opportunity to see how the wall will interact with a highly trafficked area.

Construction of the prototypes is expected to kick-off in June after the final winners are selected. Officials did not say if law enforcement would be on site to provide protection while the prototypes are being built, but indicated that the area would be monitored.

Security is a concern for the bidders who have asked how the government would respond if their construction crews came under “hostile attack,” as previously reported by Breitbart Texas.

The Associated Press reported that U.S. Customs and Border Protection will not provide security during construction of the wall and that winning bidders are expected to submit security plans that detail “fall back positions, evacuation routines and methods, muster area, medical staff members/availability, number of security personnel, qualifications, years of experience, etc. in the event of a hostile attack.”

News that the border wall will get its start in San Diego comes just as a report was released which states that some House Republicans are “working around-the-clock” to prevent funding for the border wall from being included in the GOP’s budget.

Ryan Saavedra is a contributor for Breitbart Texas and can be found on Twitter at @RealSaavedra.