US News
Border wall work topples 200-year-old Arizona cottonwood after tree-sit ends
The Guardian reports that contractors pushed over the 200-year-old cottonwood known as the grandmother after federal agents cleared a 70-day tree-sit in Lochiel, Arizona.
The short version
- Contractors for a border wall section toppled the 200-year-old cottonwood known as the grandmother in Lochiel, Arizona.[The Guardian]
- More than 80 federal agents cleared a protester camp at dawn on Monday, ending a tree-sit that had lasted over 70 days.[The Guardian]
- Alex Chabbott claimed some arrested protesters were physically hit, while CBP did not respond to requests for comment on the clashes.[The Guardian]
- Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva said she was heartbroken and plans to try to introduce a bill limiting DHS waiver authority for border infrastructure.[The Guardian]
Key facts
- A 200-year-old cottonwood known as the grandmother, near the US-Mexico border in Lochiel, Arizona, was destroyed to make way for Donald Trump's border wall.[The Guardian]
- Land defenders began a tree-sit in late July and occupied the tree's canopy for more than 70 days.[The Guardian]
- On Monday at dawn, more than 80 federal agents swarmed the protesters' camp on private land, making arrests and preventing people from reaching the tree.[The Guardian]
- Contractors with Fisher Sand & Gravel used an excavator to push over the cottonwood after federal agents removed the protesters.[The Guardian]
- A team from Turning Point USA filmed the tree's toppling.[The Guardian]
- According to DHS, contractors have finished 88 miles of secondary wall, and another 444 miles are under construction, much of it in Arizona.[The Guardian]
- Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva said at an 8 October press conference that she was heartbroken about the loss of the trees and plans to try to introduce a bill to revoke DHS's ability to waive laws for border infrastructure.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- Alex Chabbott's claim that some arrested protesters were physically hit and came back with bruises and black eyes is unverified in the reporting.[The Guardian]
- CBP did not respond to a request for comment about the clashes, so the agency's account is not reported.[The Guardian]
- Grijalva's bill is planned but had not been introduced at the time of reporting, and its prospects are unknown.[The Guardian]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.