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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Dani Anguiano in Los Angeles

Drownings at US-Mexico border up 3,200% since Trump raised wall – report

A tall, rust-colored metal bridge made of slats expands across a bridge into the ocean, with nothing and nobody on either side.
The border wall between San Diego and Tijuana, seen here in 2021. Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Thirty-three people attempting to cross the US border drowned in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego after the Trump administration nearly doubled the height of the walls along the southern border, a staggering increase from previous years.

The number of drownings rose by 3,200% from 2020 to 2023, compared to 2016 to 2019, when just one person drowned, according to a study published this week. By 2019 the Trump administration had elevated the barriers around San Diego from 17ft to 30ft.

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