Tortilla Wall

The Tortilla Wall is a term given to a 14 mile (22.5 kilometer) section of United States border fence between the Otay Mesa Border Crossing in San Diego, California and the Pacific Ocean. This "San Diego wall" was completed in the early 1990s. While there are other walls at various points along the border, the Tortilla Wall is the longest to date.

The Tortilla Wall is marked with graffiti, crosses, photos and remembrances of individuals who have died trying to illegally cross into the United States.

Effectiveness
The effectiveness of the wall has been significant according to U.S. Congressional testimony "...apprehensions along the region with a security fence dropped from 202,000 in 1992 to 9,000 in 1994."

The building of the tortilla wall is generally considered by Mexicans to be an unfriendly gesture. It is a symbol of the controversial immigration issue. It is argued that the wall simply forces illegal border crossings to be moved to the more dangerous area of the Arizona desert.

The Future of the Tortilla Wall
In 2006, the U.S. Congress voted The Secure Fence Act of 2006 which authorized spending $1.2 billion to build 700 miles (1,100 km) of additional fencing on the southern border facing Mexico. Additional fencing would lend some plausibility that the Tortilla Wall will continue to have support on the U.S. side.

Anecdotal Wall Stories
Tunnels under the wall are still a popular way to cross the border. Some tunnels are quite sophisticated. One such tunnel created by smugglers ran from Tijuana to San Diego, was a half mile long, and included a concrete floor as well as electricity. Other tunnels have included steel rails, while other tunnels are simply dirt passageways or connect to sewer or drain systems.

As a stunt, a circus cannon was placed on the south side of the wall and an acrobat was blasted over the wall into the Border Field State Park in the U.S. He had his passport with him.