CHULA VISTA - After public outcry, Customs and Border Protection appears to be making some changes to the new border wall planned near Friendship Park.
A spokesperson for the Border Patrol told NBC 7 they will include plans for an access point near Friendship Park in the new border wall, but details of what that might look like or when it will be open remain unclear. Pedro Rios with Friends of Friendship Park took part in a protest at the CBP office in Chula Vista Tuesday and says the agency needs to keep the public aware of what's going on.
"What we're urging the authorities is they not continue with these plans without first consulting community members to know what we would like to see for Friendship Park," said Rios.
Others at Tuesdays protest called for the wall to come down completely.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas ordered the new, 30 foot tall bollard-style border wall to be built West of the San Ysidro Port of Entry to the ocean, replacing the current wall which officials say has deteriorated and is unsafe. Those plans did not originally include an access gate, which would have put an end to the more than 50 years of bi-national gatherings and brief family reunifications that have taken place at Friendship Park.
The Friends of Friendship Park have a scheduled meeting with CBP officials on Wednesday evening.
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