I have been volunteering at the Binational Garden in Border Field State Park since I was 12 years old. Also known as “Friendship Park,” it includes a 75-foot section of the boundary between the United States and Mexico that is one of the last locations where people can still interact across the international border wall. Families who have been separated by immigration policies visit the park on Sundays to share a few moments together. For this reason, this space is very important to the border community it resides in.
Unfortunately, after January 2018, Friendship Park was increasingly militarized, limiting public access to the garden. On November 14th, the Park was completely sealed off to be covered with rows of razor wire. Heavily armed U.S. soldiers patrol the area, waiting for Central American asylum seekers. Now more than ever, I am reminded of the importance of the Binational Garden and my volunteer work to help maintain public access to Friendship Park. In the near future, I hope to return and continue to care for the conflicted beauty of this special place.