Trump's wall-building now involves blowing up mountains in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument


The section of President Trump's border wall being built through Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona's Sonoran Desert has been controversial from the start. The national monument, established in 1937 and named a UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve in 1976, is not only a fragile ecological gem but also an area with deep spiritual and cultural importance to several Native American groups and dozens of unexplored ancient archeological sites. Homeland Security Department (DHS) contractors recently started blowing apart a mountain in the national monument to facilitate border wall construction, The Intercept reports.
"The construction contractor has begun controlled blasting, in preparation for new border wall system construction, within the Roosevelt Reservation at Monument Mountain in the U.S. Border Patrol's Tucson Sector," Customs and Border Protection told The Intercept in a statement. The blasting "will continue intermittently for the rest of the month," CBP added, and there will be "an environmental monitor present during these activities as well as on-going clearing activities."
Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who visited the area last month, said he has zero faith the government's "environmental monitor will do anything to avoid, mitigate, or even point out some of the sacrilegious things that are occurring and will continue to occur, given the way they're proceeding." Contractors are already draining water from a rare desert spring to mix concrete, and they have sliced up and bulldozed iconic saguaro cacti and inadvertently uncovered possible burial sites, The Intercept reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
To rush through his border wall, Trump has leaned heavily on a post-9/11 law that gives DHS broad powers to waive all sorts of laws, including the Environmental Protection Act to the Endangered Species Act, The Intercept says. "A historically significant area is going to be changed irreparably," Grijalva lamented. "You're never going to be able to put it back together."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Critics’ choice: Restaurants worthy of their buzz
feature A fun bistro, a reservation worth the wait, and a modern twist on Mexican dishes
By The Week US Published
-
Film reviews: Snow White, Death of a Unicorn, and The Alto Knights
Feature A makeover for Disney’s first animated feature, greedy humans earn nature’s wrath, and a feud between crime bosses rattles the mob
By The Week US Published
-
Bombs or talks: What’s next in the US-Iran showdown?
Talking Points US gives Tehran a two-month deadline to deal
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Sen. Booker's 25-hour speech beats Thurmond
Speed Read He spoke for the longest time in recorded Senate history, protesting the Trump administration's policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bondi seeks death penalty for Luigi Mangione
Speed Read Mangione was charged with fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Democrats win costly Wisconsin court seat
Speed Read Democrats prevailed in an election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court despite Elon Musk's robust financial support of the Republican candidate
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
WHCA rejects White House press seating grab
Speed Read The White House Correspondents' Association objected to the Trump administration's bid to control where journalists sit during press briefings
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sends more migrants to El Salvador jail
Speed Read Another 17 Venezuelan alleged gang members have been deported to a notorious prison
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump 'not joking' about unconstitutional 3rd term
Speed Read The president seems to be serious about seeking a third term in 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
By The Week Staff Published
-
Supreme Court upholds 'ghost gun' restrictions
Speed Read Ghost guns can be regulated like other firearms
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published