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'Desecration': Biden administration to expand walls at historic border meeting point
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jul/26/us-mexico-border-wall-friendship-park-gardenWatman is a longtime member of Friends of Friendship Park, a coalition that includes environmentalists, developers and immigrant rights activists advocating for public access to the historic border park. This month, the group announced it had learned that the US homeland security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, had approved plans to replace the two existing walls with new ones that will be as tall as the roots of his plants are deep.
The new 30ft structures would extend walls stretching east that were built during the Trump administration, the group said, despite a campaign promise from Joe Biden to halt any new construction of the border wall. The new walls, the advocates warned, could further limit public access to the park, restricting visits to Watman’s garden or the wall.
Watman was surprised at the Biden administration’s reversal, he said, but not at there being a new challenge to Friendship Park. “It’s not surprising given what I’ve seen and how things have gradually closed down more and more over the last 15 years. But it’s really disappointing.”
(snip)
Watman hasn’t been allowed to tend to the garden on the US side, and it’s become dry and overgrown. On the Mexican side, he and his team of volunteers have cultivated flourishing local plants, established food beds and organised educational events. “The Kumeyaay people were coming here for 8,000 years, and this border’s been here for 170 or something, like a blink of an eye … So we’ve had native plant workshops where we invited Kumeyaay elders to the garden,” Watman said.
The new 30ft structures would extend walls stretching east that were built during the Trump administration, the group said, despite a campaign promise from Joe Biden to halt any new construction of the border wall. The new walls, the advocates warned, could further limit public access to the park, restricting visits to Watman’s garden or the wall.
Watman was surprised at the Biden administration’s reversal, he said, but not at there being a new challenge to Friendship Park. “It’s not surprising given what I’ve seen and how things have gradually closed down more and more over the last 15 years. But it’s really disappointing.”
(snip)
Watman hasn’t been allowed to tend to the garden on the US side, and it’s become dry and overgrown. On the Mexican side, he and his team of volunteers have cultivated flourishing local plants, established food beds and organised educational events. “The Kumeyaay people were coming here for 8,000 years, and this border’s been here for 170 or something, like a blink of an eye … So we’ve had native plant workshops where we invited Kumeyaay elders to the garden,” Watman said.
The above article was from a few days ago and goes on to mention a July 27 meeting that included CBP. Results of that meeting:
SAN DIEGO — Friends for Friendship Park received devastating news on Wednesday after learning the federal government plans to follow through with building two 30-foot walls across the park.
Friendship Park represents the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico. It's a relationship based on friendship, a place loved ones, separated by the border, could meet.
(snip)
"We view the current proposal as a nail in the coffin of Friendship Park," said John Fanestil, from Friends of Friendship Park Coalition.
Fanestil said border patrol plans to replace the two 18-foot walls and lattice fence with walls that are 30-feet high.
Friendship Park represents the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico. It's a relationship based on friendship, a place loved ones, separated by the border, could meet.
(snip)
"We view the current proposal as a nail in the coffin of Friendship Park," said John Fanestil, from Friends of Friendship Park Coalition.
Fanestil said border patrol plans to replace the two 18-foot walls and lattice fence with walls that are 30-feet high.
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I can't say what I think about this. 
