President Donald Trump will visit the eight, 30-foot-tall prototypes for a wall along the US-Mexico border on Tuesday.
After six construction companies completed the prototypes late last year, the barriers were tested on several fronts, including whether they could prevent illegal climbing and digging, and whether they are safe for Border Patrol agents. At the time, Trump insisted that Mexico would foot the barrier's estimated $21.6 billion bill "one way or the other," despite the country's vow that it will never pay for it.
The goal of establishing a firm physical boundary to separate the US from Mexico is nothing new. In the country that has the world's largest immigrant population, American presidential administrations have tried tightening security along the border for around a century.
Though the divide was formally established in 1824, the US didn't launch its official Border Patrol until 1924. Inspection and holding stations were created after that, followed by the construction of miles of fences with barbed wire and steel barriers over the next few decades.
Take a look back at the history of the US-Mexico border below.
The US established an official border patrol in 1924 with the goal of securing the US-Mexico border. In the photo below, American guards are patting down Mexicans who wish to enter the US.
The Mexicali border station (pictured below in 1929) was surrounded by a tall fence. Cars lined up to cross into California.
Much like today, people coming from Mexico were required to open their bags and suitcases at the border. In this 1937 photo, an agent inspects the possessions of shoppers going from Juarez, Mexico to El Paso, Texas.
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