Three migrants were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after reportedly falling from a 30-foot section of the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Southern California, according to local CBS affiliate CBS8. The incident unfolded near the Otay Mesa neighborhood in San Diego County, where emergency crews responded and later handed the individuals over to federal authorities.
Why It’s Significant
The episode comes at a time when unlawful crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border have fallen to their lowest levels in more than 55 years, based on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data released on October 7. Even as crossings decline overall, the incident underscores the persistent risks migrants face when attempting to scale high border barriers.
According to CBS8, the three individuals—two women and one man—were found conscious and breathing and were transported to a hospital shortly after midday on Friday. San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokeswoman Candace Hadley said their specific conditions were not disclosed.
The section of wall where they fell, across from Tijuana, Mexico, rises about 30 feet. A Border Patrol agent in the San Diego Sector said it appeared the trio fell after climbing the barrier from the Mexican side.
“Border Patrol agents from San Diego Sector encountered three individuals who appeared to have fallen from the border barrier west of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry after illegally entering the country,” Border Patrol Agent Eugene Wesley said in a statement.
Border Wall Projects and Upgrades
DHS and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have recently awarded $4.5 billion in new contracts funded by President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act to expand wall construction along the Southwest border.
These projects include roughly 230 miles of new “Smart Wall” barriers and nearly 400 miles of integrated surveillance and detection systems equipped with lighting, cameras and sensors. Plans also call for nearly 10 miles of additional wall in two high-traffic areas of San Diego County, including the Otay Mesa region, CBS8 reported in September.
Environmental Concerns
While officials frame the expansion as a security enhancement, environmental advocates warn of serious ecological consequences. They argue that continuous wall segments disrupt critical wildlife habitat and obstruct the natural movement of animals along the California-Mexico border, including species such as bighorn sheep and mountain lions.
Laiken Jordahl, Southwest conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, told CBS8 in September: “These wildlife have evolved for millennia to migrate freely across the border in search of food and water. Now we’re building this solid wall that will effectively wall off the entire state of California.”
What Officials Are Saying
DHS chief Kristi Noem praised the administration’s approach to border enforcement in an October statement, framing the recent numbers as evidence of success.
“We have had the most secure border in American history and our end-of-year numbers prove it. We have shattered multiple records this year and once again we have broken a new record with the lowest number of Southwest border apprehensions in 55 years. Under President Trump, we have empowered and supported our law enforcement to do their job and they have delivered,” she said.
