For decades the border between the United States and Mexico looked, in many places, like it did in Santa Teresa, New Mexico: miles upon miles of three-tiered wire fencing. Spots such as these became portals to a better life for those fleeing violence and poverty in their home countries. According to the Department of Homeland Security, in 2017 as many as 25,000 people crossed the desert and entered the US in El Paso sector, where Santa Teresa is located.
On April 9, 2018, the Trump Administration broke ground in Santa Teresa on a new 20-mile section of wall, converting existing vehicle barriers to 18- to 30-foot high steel bollard walls, at an approximated cost of over $73.3 million.