The Dominican Republic has begun construction of a wall along its border with Haiti. The nearly 13-foot barrier will cover about half of the 244-mile Dominican-Haitian border. Other border enforcement infrastructure will include fiber optics, movement sensors, cameras, radar, drones and over 70 watchtowers. The wall’s construction comes as Haitian migrants continue to flee extreme poverty, political instability and violence. Dominican President Luis Abinader spoke at a groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday.

President Luis Abinader: “The construction of this intelligent border fence will help protect our nation, safeguard the interests of our country, respect our dignity, our freedom, and defend our sovereignty.”