For decades, there was no physical barrier between U.S. and Mexico, until this battle

By Anya Steinberg,

Cristina Kim, Andrew Limbong

Published October 13, 2025 at 2:13 PM MDT

There was no physical barrier between the U.S. and Mexico for decades -- until one critical battle at the border changed it all.

Anya Steinberg

Cristina Kim

Cristina Kim is a reporter/producer for Throughline.

Andrew Limbong

Andrew Limbong is a reporter for NPR's Arts Desk, where he does pieces on anything remotely related to arts or culture, from streamers looking for mental health on Twitch to Britney Spears' fight over her conservatorship. He's also covered the near collapse of the live music industry during the coronavirus pandemic. He's the host of NPR's Book of the Day podcast and a frequent host on Life Kit.

See stories by Andrew Limbong