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Border Fence
In 2008 the Department of Homeland Security began to erect an elaborate system of double and triple barriers along the coastal stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border in southwestern San Diego County. Eleven of the 14 miles of the “San Diego sector” had already been double-fenced. Under legal waivers issued by Secretary Michael Chertoff, DHS has now launched one of the largest public works projects in recent San Diego History, intent on driving the border walls all the way to the coast. If completed as proposed, the project would eliminate public access to Friendship Park, a historic meeting place for residents of San Diego and Tijuana.
To learn more about the case of Friendship Park please browse the following resources and links. Should you be interested to join local efforts to save this treasured piece of our region’s environmental and cultural heritage, please contact us at info@foundation4change.org.
RESOURCES FOR DOWNLOAD
December 2008 powerpoint presentation by John Fanestil, offering a self-explanatory introduction to the case of Friendship Park
December 2008 thesis by SDSU student Nick Corette, offering a helpful overview and background information the case of Friendship Park
November 2008 letter signed by 9 elected officials asking the Obama Transition Team to assist in bringing a halt to construction at Friendship Park
October 2008 letter sent to the Army Corps of Engineers by the State Water Resources Control Board, lamenting lack of controls on construction in the San Diego sector
October 2008 letter sent by State Senator Denise Ducheny to CA State Parks Director Ruth Coleman. This was one of many letters sent by local elected officials expressing concern.
June 2008 statement, “An Offense to the Peoples of the San Diego/Tijuana Region,” signed by 30 local community organizations, plus a “Statement of Support” from 30 local religious leaders
April 1, 2008 letter from DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff waiving dozens of environmental and other laws to expedite border fence construction in San Diego
February, 2008 court order dismissing the suit filed by Save Our Heritage Organisation and others, contesting the constitutionality of the DHS waiver authority
October, 2007 alternative to triple-fence construction in the Tijuana Estuary, presented by local leaders with intimate knowledge of the terrain
May, 2007 Congressional Research Service report, “Border Security: The San Diego Fence.”
History of legislation relating to border fence construction as approved by Congress, focused on requirements for construction in the San Diego sector
Spreadsheet documenting over 550 million dollars of public investment in the lands comprising the Tijuana River Valley Estuary
Christian Century Article
Jamie Gates’ essay, “From Friendship to Hope: A Christian Rationale for Border Vigils”
LINKS OF INTEREST
November 19, 2008 article (Spanish) by Christian Ramirez in El Diario San Diego
October 7, 2008 article by John Fanestil in The Christian Century
October 22, 2008 New York Times article about Friendship Park
2008 UCSD Communications video, “A Divided Friendship”
2008 Greg Rainoff video, “Lamina”
2007 SWIA video, “Where’s the Security?”
Border Patrol Webpage on Planning for the San Diego Sector
International League of Conservation Photographer's November 2008 multi-media piece: "In the Borderlands"
Preview of Wayne Ewing’s November 2008 documentary on the Border Wall
Jill Holslin’s blog on the border fence:
October 2008 Washington Post article about Friendship Park
Scott Bennett December 2007 photos of La Posada Sin Fronteras at Friendship Park
October 2008 coverage of Craig Johnson’s detention at the border after attending a Friendship Park event:
http://www.aclu.org/privacy/37294res20081022.html
http://rawstory.com/news/2008/ACLU_highlights_ConstitutionFree_Zone_100_miles_1022.html |
