As DHS gaslights border communities, help document the reality on Wall Watch, our new community powered map for border wall construction, and a podcast from the resistance in Lochiel, Arizona, where protestors try to save the last ancient Cottonwood tree from bulldozers.
A vivid depiction of what has been happening during the last eight weeks of resistance against border wall construction in southern Arizona’s San Rafael Valley.
Wall Watch combines geospatial mapping, archival research, and community participation to provide the public with an accurate, continually updated record of border wall construction along nearly 2,000 miles of the international border.
Happy 250th America! In a new podcast, Melissa and Todd discuss surveillance, and unconstitutional policing migrating into the country's interior, and ancient rock art faces demolition in Texas. Plus more news from across the border region.
Happy 4th of July, I guess. There's a weird vibe in the country. That feeling that the wheels are going to come off at any moment. Or maybe they already have? The sitting president reported a profit for himself of $2.2 billion in his first year back in the White House. And Congress and the administration have transferred approximately $260 billion to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE and Border Patrol which it can spend through 2029. It's an astronomical sum and five times the amount of DHS' previous budgets. Much of that funding comes from cuts to healthcare, education, rural infrastructure and other vital programs that Americans rely on. I definitely felt this in 2026. This was the first year that I could not afford health insurance. The cheapest plan on the healthcare marketplace in Arizona for someone my age—Gen X—was $700 a month with a $10,000 deductible. (And yes, I did explore every avenue to find an alternative with no luck.) Despite our current dire straits, I do think at the grassroots community level we can change things for the better. Honestly, it's our only option. It's going to take a lot of work, but I believe we are already on our way. One example of this are the mutual aid networks that have sprung up across the country to protect immigrant neighbors and report abuse by ICE and Border Patrol. It's ordinary Americans, each one of us doing what we can, to push back against the authoritarian takeover of our government that gives me hope as we approach America's 250th birthday.
And along those lines, here at The Border Chronicle we've been feverishly documenting the impacts of the Trump administration's border barriers, which include a proposed 500 miles of floating buoy barriers on the Rio Grande and a plan to build a double wall across the entire 1,954 mile border with Mexico, effectively walling off the North American continent. It's a massive undertaking with massive consequences, with CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott stating recently at a public event that he'd "made a commitment to the president, will be done by the end of 2027."
On Tuesday, Sam Karas, a reporter in Texas' Big Bend wrote about the potential loss of some of North America's oldest murals, many of which have not been fully studied yet by archeologists. This is due to border barrier construction and DHS waiving federal laws that would protect the ancient rock art so it can speed up wall construction in Texas. This piece really struck a nerve with readers, and has already garnered more than 280 comments on our social media platforms since it posted.
Sam Karas
On Thursday, Todd and I in our latest podcast discussed his new book on the Rio Grande and climate change, which he just turned in to the publisher— hooray! And we talked about the "everywhere border" where surveillance, unwarranted searches and seizures, and other heavy-handed policing that border communities have endured for decades has now moved into the interior of the country. Take a listen and let us know what you think in the comments.
Melissa del Bosque
As we reflect on America's independence this 4th of July, celebrate independent news that holds our government accountable by becoming a paid subscriber for just $6 a month or $59 a year. We can't do this important work without you!
As DHS gaslights border communities, help document the reality on Wall Watch, our new community powered map for border wall construction, and a podcast from the resistance in Lochiel, Arizona, where protestors try to save the last ancient Cottonwood tree from bulldozers.
Bulldozing has started in the iconic Big Bend National Park, and protestors try to save the last of 200-year old cottonwood trees in Arizona as the border wall advances, plus we launch our community mapping project, Wall Watch, on Tuesday!
Border grassroots organizing is winning in July; Who pays the price for Brownsville's tech and industrial boom? And Tijuana Art Week and NAFTA's lasting influence on Baja's landscape. Plus more!
The efforts to preserve the desert's iconic plants, resist the destruction of ancient trees, and deal with the harassing border machine, even after deportation.
Independent news, culture and context from the U.S.-Mexico border.
