Armed Border Patrol agents raided a protest camp in Lochiel, southeast Arizona, on Monday morning, clearing the way for contractors to fell the final cottonwood tree at the site for construction of a double border wall. Protesters had occupied the camp for more than 70 days to protect the tree, which activists called the "Grandmother" cottonwood. At least 12 people faced arrest during the raid, according to activists present at the scene.
The tree removal marks the completion of cottonwood felling along this section of the Arizona-Mexico border. The construction project involves building a double wall structure at the location. The extended protest effort demonstrated organized resistance to the removal, though ultimately unsuccessful in halting the project.
Border Patrol's armed presence at the removal indicates the agency's commitment to clearing the site for construction. The raid ended weeks of continuous occupation by environmental and border advocacy groups opposed to the wall project and its ecological impacts.