Friends of the Sonoran Desert is teaming up with other organizations dedicated to opposing the wall that the Trump Administration proposes to build along the entire length of the U.S./Mexican border. Our top priority right now is to prevent the installation of an initial prototype of the wall that would bisect the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in Texas.
In southwest Texas along the Rio Grande River, the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge is frequently referred to as the crown jewel of the refuge system because of its exceptional biological diversity. Visitors to the Santa Ana refuge spend hundreds of millions of dollars annually in local communities abutting the refuge, and the loss of these tourist dollars would negatively impact these local economies. Trump’s wall would thus destroy the refuge AND put an end to the tourist dollars that have greatly benefitted surrounding local communities.
To prevent the construction of a border wall through the Sonoran Desert, we must battle the Trump Administration’s wall, in all habitats, every step of the way across our country’s southern border. The battle against Trump’s wall will begin at the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. The chairman of our Board, Roger McManus, will join other citizen stewards at the Santa Ana refuge in late October to add our voice in opposition to the bisection of this refuge by a prototype of the proposed border wall.
How can you help us defeat the border wall? Between now and 20 October, we ask our supporters to write to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with their objections to the bisection of the Santa Ana refuge by a prototype of the proposed border wall. Please email DHS at comentsenv@cbp.dhs.gov. Please also write to your Representative and Senators (go to https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members) and include these talking points:
a wall bisecting the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge will destroy the refuge
a wall through the Santa Ana refuge will negatively impact the economies of local communities through loss of millions of tourist dollars
the Border Patrol has never supported the Trump wall as proposed, and instead favors a variety of more flexible ways to manage border security
the tens of millions of dollars slated for the construction of a border wall would be better spent on the alternative methods preferred by the Border Patrol
Congress has authorized DHS to waive ALL Federal, State, and County laws that would interfere with the construction and installation of Trump’s wall. This is the biggest assault on the laws of our democracy in the history of our nation.
Will you consider joining us as a steward of the Sonoran Desert? Get the latest information on how you can help by checking the Citizen Stewardship opportunities on our web site. Also regularly check our Facebook page (Friends of the Sonoran Desert) for updates on our current activities and how you can help.