Scott Nicol near a section of the border wall in Hidalgo, Texas, on Sept. 7, 2026. (Photo credit: Mike Gonzalez)

You could call this Scott Nicol week at The Border Chronicle. I first met the artist, educator, and activist in 2008 in McAllen, Texas. I was there to write my very first piece on border wall construction in the Rio Grande Valley for The Texas Observer. The story called “Holes in the Wall” (you will see that time has not been kind to the Observer’s digital archives) pointed out that land belonging to wealthy people with political connections in South Texas was being bypassed for border wall construction, while people of lesser means were being targeted.

A year earlier, Nicol and other residents had formed the No Border Wall Coalition in the Rio Grande Valley to organize against the wall. Nicol was generous with his time, educating me about the local construction projects and introducing me to some of the people in the valley who were being directly impacted. Since then, Nicol has become an expert on border wall construction which has continued in his community, despite considerable local opposition, for the last two decades.

Today, I would say Nicol is one of the country’s foremost experts on border wall construction and its impacts on both communities and the environment. Our Tuesday investigation “American Rust” by our South Texas reporter, Mike Gonzalez, was spurred by a community report Nicol made to our Wall Watch map in July about old bollards being used for new wall construction, and our Thursday piece was written by Nicol about how vehicle barriers almost always turn into 30-foot walls, and that this ultimately is what the Trump administration has planned for the iconic Big Bend region, even if officials say otherwise. In other words, the Trump administration is lying to us. I know, go figure.

The provocative thinker and writer, Gore Vidal, liked to call America “The United States of Amnesia.” We are good at forgetting our past, or rather, ignoring our darker chapters of history. When it comes to border wall construction and the $46 plus-billion the Trump administration is currently lavishing on a hand-picked group of private contractors, many of whom have donated to Trump’s campaign, Nicol is not letting anyone forget the wall’s controversial, bipartisan past, nor its destructive future.

This Week in The Border Chronicle:

American Rust: The $1.1 Billion Border Wall Built with Salvaged Materials and Few Answers A newly constructed wall built with old, salvaged material in South Texas is probably illegal; it’s also costing twice as much as previous walls. What are taxpayers paying for, exactly? By Mike Gonzalez

Border Walls Devastating Arizona Are a Warning for Seminole Canyon and Big Bend Vehicle barriers are just the first step in the march to 30-foot border walls. San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge is seeing the brutal endpoint. By Scott Nicol

Events & Announcements:

If you’re in Tucson or thereabouts, join us for our 5th anniversary celebration on October 22 from 6 pm to 9 pm. There will be food, music, cumbia dancing, and poetry! Tickets are running out, so please act fast! Support independent journalism and help us celebrate the beauty of the borderlands. Buy your tickets here.

CBP is accepting public comments on the proposed border wall through Tohono O’odham land. The deadline for comments is October 29. You can comment here.

CBP public comments are also open for the proposed secondary wall in Arizona. The deadline to comment is October 12. Find out more here.

A big congrats to forensic anthropologist Kate Spradley, who has worked for years to document migrant deaths in South Texas, and reunite lost relatives with their families through her Operation Identification Program. This week Spradley received a MacArthur Genius Grant for her work. You can learn more about Dr. Spradley’s work here and here in our archives. Felicidades Kate!