US border fences 'an eco-danger'

Mexico was ready to file a complaint with the International Court of Justice over the matter if the US did not respond, the environment minister said.

The planned barriers aim to curb illegal immigration, a highly divisive and controversial issue in the US.

The fences, planned along a possible 700 miles (1,125km) of the border, are to be equipped with hi-tech surveillance equipment, including sensors and strong lights.

"The eventual construction of this barrier would place at risk the various ecosystems that we share," Mexico's Environment Minister Juan Rafael Elvira told a news conference.

Those areas include Baja California, Sonora and Arizona, home to one of the world's most important desert ecosystems - the Sonora Desert.

Cactus fences

Officials said Mexico was prepared to file a complaint with the International Court of Justice but wanted to explore alternatives first.