Migrants use makeshift ladders to scale border wall, over 400 falls reported in 2025

Migrants are resorting to perilous methods, including the use of crude, homemade ladders, to scale the U.S.-Mexico border wall in their quest to reach the United States. In February 2025, two women from Oaxaca were injured after falling from the border wall in Ciudad Juárez while attempting to cross.

According to the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, over 400 individuals fell while attempting to climb the border wall in 2025. The U.S. Border Patrol's San Diego sector has documented how human smugglers, referred to as "polleros" and "coyotes," employ these makeshift ladders constructed from scavenged materials. These ladders are often described as rotten, reinforced with duct tape, and equipped with hooks to secure them to the nearly 10-meter-high wall.

Border Patrol Agent Gerardo Gutiérrez explained the dangerous tactics employed by smugglers. "When they reach the top of the wall, they tell people to jump or slide down because there are no ladders on the other side. Then the smugglers say, 'We have fulfilled our part in getting them across,'" he stated. Agent Sarabia added that smugglers instruct migrants to slide down the other side, often leading to injuries.

“

When they reach the top of the wall, they tell people to jump or slide down because there are no ladders on the other side. Then the smugglers say, 'We have fulfilled our part in getting them across.'

Smugglers also use ropes to help position the ladders, which can break under the weight of those climbing. "It is a very cruel, very dangerous situation they put migrants in," said Agent Gutiérrez. "So the message is: Don't do it, because if you cross, you can get injured, besides the fact that the border area is more secure than ever."

Despite the risks, smugglers continue to use various methods, including rusted metal pieces, wires, and tied fabrics, to facilitate crossings. Many migrants who fall are transported to hospitals for specialized care on the Mexican side of the border.

“

It is a very cruel, very dangerous situation they put migrants in. So the message is: Don't do it, because if you cross, you can get injured, besides the fact that the border area is more secure than ever.