Key facts
- A 200-year-old cottonwood tree in Lochiel, Arizona, was destroyed for border wall construction.
- Protesters occupied the tree for over 70 days in an effort to save it.
- Federal agents arrested protesters and forcibly removed a tree-sitter before the tree was felled.
- Fisher Sand & Gravel contractors used an excavator to push over the tree.
- The area is part of an important wildlife corridor between the US and Mexico.
- Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva plans to introduce a bill to revoke DHS's ability to waive laws for border infrastructure.
A 200-year-old cottonwood tree, referred to as the “grandmother,” was destroyed on Monday to facilitate the construction of Donald Trump’s border wall in Lochiel, Arizona. The tree's felling followed a 70-day protest by land defenders who had occupied its canopy in an effort to prevent its destruction.
Federal agents, including border patrol officers and the tactical unit Bortac, swarmed the protesters' camp on private land at dawn. They arrested individuals and forcibly removed a tree-sitter from a platform high in the cottonwood. Videos and photos shared on social media depicted agents shoving and tackling other protesters who attempted to intervene.
Contractors from Fisher Sand & Gravel, responsible for building this section of the wall, then used an excavator to push over the tree. Witnesses described scenes of distress and outrage from the land defenders as the tree fell.
Erick Meza, the Sierra Club’s Borderlands coordinator, expressed heartbreak over the tree's destruction, noting its role in bringing people together and the subsequent outrage from the community. The tree was part of a vital wildlife corridor in the San Rafael valley, an area known for its riparian forests, an endangered ecotype in the region.
Protesters have been using nonviolent tactics to delay construction, including one woman who locked herself to a cement truck and was subsequently maced and arrested. Another tree-sitter on a different cottonwood was removed by CBP and Mexican police, and later came down voluntarily after several days without resupply.
Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva stated she was heartbroken by the loss of the trees and plans to introduce legislation to revoke the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) authority to waive laws for border infrastructure projects. CBP has previously stated that border walls help combat unauthorized immigration, while the local sheriff has questioned the necessity of a wall in the area due to a lack of significant illegal activity.