Trump is attempting to make his misinformed campaign promise of a border wall a reality by getting Congress to designate billions of dollars towards its construction. If approved, the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas, would be the first target, cutting its trail system from the visitor center and threatening its very existence.
Join local environmental organizations and border residents outside the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge for a rally on Saturday, Jan. 27, the Refuge’s 75th anniversary, to celebrate the significance of Santa Ana and demand #NoBorderWall.
People linking arms in #NoBorderWall solidarity on the levee along the Rio Grande River in the Rio Grande Valley, where Trump's proposed border wall would be built (Photo Courtesy of Sierra Club Volunteer Ling Zhu, taken from the Santa Ana observation tower, August 2017)
Border communities have been mobilizing for months to demand no more border walls or further militarization - including the proposal for a “smart wall” by some Democratic leaders - of their daily lives, but the political conversation in DC is pushing forward with little to zero regard for the very real concerns of those most directly affected by border walls and militarization.
And while border communities have some of the lowest crime rates in the nation, Trump continues to fuel the fear, hate, and stigma of the border through his anti-immigrant, racist rhetoric:
A few days Trump tweeted this - one of many proclamations about the "dangerous" Southern border - the New York Times reported that White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly had mentioned to a group of Democratic lawmakers that Trump had not been “fully informed” when promising a wall last year.
It’s clear that the Trump administration's push toward building this wall is rooted in racism and unfounded fear, not any practical strategy for national security, from the moment it was first proposed as a campaign promise.
We need all of Texas to uplift the local voices and efforts coming out of the Rio Grande Valley, to stand in solidarity and express to the rest of the nation that the community rejects the border wall, the targeting of communities of color, and the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Can’t make it to the rally on 1/27 but want to show your support in solidarity? Here are some ideas:
