This story was originally published by LOOKOUT, a nonprofit news outlet focused on LGBTQ+ issues in the Southwest.
Border Patrol agents on Monday arrested at least 20 people who were protecting a cottonwood tree in Lochiel, Arizona, to block border wall construction, then cut the tree down.
According to people on the ground, ten activists were taken to the Sonoita Border Patrol station. Another ten were cited and released. This is a developing story, and details are still being confirmed.
Activists have rotated through a tree sit since late July, halting construction in the immediate area even as two walls went up on either side of the tree, which they call “grandmother.”
LOOKOUT first reported on the tree sit in August. On July 29, border residents from the San Rafael Valley and beyond occupied the ancient tree to protect it and the surrounding ecosystem. Three other large cottonwood trees directly in the path of proposed wall construction were cut down earlier. Activists say the action in the remaining tree has since halted construction along a 29-mile stretch of the border.
Activists were gathering for a sunrise ceremony on Oct. 5 when agents entered the camp around 6:30 a.m., according to a press release. The release says agents ignored “demands to present a warrant.” Video and an Instagram livestream show heavily armed agents surrounding and detaining activists. People on the ground said the agents covered their badges, refused to give their names and were “destroying tents.”
Kate Scott, one of the activists who have been on the ground protecting the trees since the beginning, told LOOKOUT, “We have been raided, assaulted, battered, bruised, bleeding by the Border Patrol agents.”
Another activist, who uses the name Hoops, said the Border Patrol agents “were extremely violent and rough with our comrades. They were kicking us while we were on the ground. They had knees on the necks. Kicking them when they were in handcuffs.”
Hoops was cited and released. She showed an arrest paper stating a court date of Jan. 6.
“Agents assaulted and tackled land defenders, some who stood in as protective presence aside the tree,” the press release said. “Agents even pushed land defenders into a barbed-wire fence, and who are being treated for injuries. Several others had their necks stomped on by agents.”
As the confrontation continued, agents began cutting the tree while a person was still sitting in its branches. Agents removed that person with a cherry picker and then felled the tree. Screams could be heard as “grandmother” fell around 8:30 a.m.
“U.S. Customs and Border Protection identified four cottonwood trees on federal land in Lochiel, Arizona, that needed removal for planned border wall construction,” a Customs and Border Protection spokesperson wrote to LOOKOUT in an email.
“As of Oct. 5, 2026, all four trees have been removed,” the statement continued. “CBP recognizes the importance of protecting the environment, wildlife, and cultural resources during border wall construction. While concerns exist about impacts to sensitive areas, it is important to note that illegal immigration itself poses significant environmental challenges.”
Researchers and activists have long claimed that vanishingly few migrants cross the border in the San Rafael Valley, where the trees once stood.
“We are resolute,” Scott said. “This movement is not going anywhere. They have cut down our grandmother, but her roots are within us.”
