The city council of Nogales, Ariz., passed a resolution Wednesday condemning the recently installed razor wire that covers a border wall that runs through its downtown.
The Associated Press reports that Nogales Mayor Arturo Garino said the city will sue the federal government if it does not remove the razor wire.
{mosads}”Aesthetically pleasing — it’s not. It’s very bad. It’s not good for business, it’s not good for what we’re trying to create, a business-friendly community here in Nogales,” Garino told the AP.
The resolution passed by the city council says the concertina wire “is only found in a war, prison or battle setting” and should not be in a city’s downtown.
The razor wire in many places stretches from the top of the barrier all the way to the ground.
Nogales officials say Army troops installed most of the wire last week. Active-duty military troops and National Guardsmen were sent by the Trump administration in droves late last year in an effort to enhance security at the border.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told the AP in a statement that the wire was added after a request “for additional support in high-risk urban areas commonly exploited by criminal smuggling organizations.”
The agency did not specify who made the request.
“Signage in Spanish and English has been put in place warning individuals of these dangers and prohibiting access,” the statement said.
CBP did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.
“They can’t say they’re putting something up to protect us,” Garino told The Washington Post. “They’re putting up something that’s lethal all the way to the ground.”
Nogales is just across the border from its counterpart, Nogales, Mexico.