Controversial ‘doggie doors’ built into US-Mexico border wall — commissioned by the DHS
Contractors working for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are installing approximately 50 small wildlife passages—often referred to as “doggie doors”—in sections of the U.S.–Mexico border wall in Arizona and California. The openings measure roughly 8 by 10 inches.
The effort has drawn sharp criticism from wildlife experts and environmental advocates, who argue the passages are far too small and too few to protect natural migration routes or prevent ecological harm. While smaller animals such as skunks, foxes, badgers, rabbits, snakes, and desert tortoises can pass through, larger species—including mountain lions, jaguars, deer, and bighorn sheep—are effectively blocked, according to reporting by National Geographic.
Critics also point to the scale of the border infrastructure. The U.S.–Mexico border spans about 1,933 miles from the Pacific Ocean to South Texas. Roughly 700 miles are already fenced, according to CNN, with additional sections in various stages of planning and construction.
“This has got to be an obscene joke,” said Laiken Jordahl of the Center for Biological Diversity, noting that only 50 small openings are planned across such a vast stretch of land. Researchers Christina Aiello and Miles Traphagen of Wildlands Network visited the border area and said the conditions raised serious concerns.
“We can’t simply be throwing away all of our biodiversity and natural heritage to solve a problem that could be addressed more constructively,” Traphagen told KTSM El Paso during a Border Report interview, arguing that immigration policy reform would be a more effective approach.
To speed construction, DHS has waived several environmental protection laws. In a statement, the agency said the waivers are necessary “to ensure the expeditious construction of physical barriers and roads” and called the projects “critical steps to secure the southern border.”
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) spokesperson Matthew Dyman responded to the criticism by saying the agency worked with the National Park Service and other federal partners to determine the best locations for the wildlife passages, using existing data on species distribution and migration routes.
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