Oct 18, 2026 · 34 min · 14 segments
A border wall protester could face jail time, a local man shines at the Cerebral Palsy soccer World Cup and we take a deeper dive into microschools; and more...
First, the federal government is pursuing a criminal charge against a woman who sat in that centuries-old cottonwood tree in Mexico, hindering border wall construction on that side.
Last week, an activist climbed into a cottonwood tree just south of the U.S.-Mexico border in the San Rafael Valley.
It came after months of protests from conservation advocates who attempted to save the cottonwood trees from being demolished for a double border wall.
Federal prosecutors are now charging the woman with a Class A misdemeanor for allegedly violating a closure order from the Bureau of Land Management.
The tree itself was located in Mexico, but prosecutors allege the woman attached herself to construction equipment, interrupting border wall construction for up to 20 minutes.
According to protesters, authorities had attempted to remove the woman from the tree, but sawed away the platform she'd been sitting on, and she remained in the tree for about 20 hours before climbing down.
And with a similar story, construction of the border wall in Low Keel, southern Arizona, has sparked a dispute involving the Santa Cruz County Sheriff and the Arizona Sheriff's Association.
In response to criticism of Santa Cruz Sheriff David Hathaway's decision not to respond to some border wall protests at Low Keel on October 5th, he says federal agents repeatedly asked his office to remove individuals who were peacefully protesting on private property.
Hathaway said in a statement the protesters posed no threat and argued border security as a federal government's responsibility.
He also says federal agents used tear gas and dragged protesters away during confrontations.
The sheriff is also questioning the Arizona Sheriff's Association political neutrality, saying he stopped paying dues after efforts to get the organization to adopt a nonpartisan stance felt.
Hathaway says construction of that section of the wall is now complete, although some property owners continue to report difficulties accessing their land.
Now back to Tucson, student organizations at the University of Arizona have begun circulating a petition urging officials to declare the college a sanctuary campus free of immigration enforcement activities.
AZPM first spoke with UA Resist member Mara Short in May when they said the group was working to gather community support for the effort.
The idea is that ICE and CBP aren't allowed to be there or to enforce, and that on a campus, the campus police can't collaborate so that students and faculty and staff can't be kidnapped from campus.
The petition also urges the administration to remove surveillance cameras that use facial recognition and ban federal immigration agencies from job fairs on campus.
There have not been any recorded incidents of ICE activity on the U of A campus so far this year.
First, the federal government is pursuing a criminal charge against a woman who sat in that centuries-old cottonwood tree in Mexico, hindering border wall construction on that side.
Last week, an activist climbed into a cottonwood tree just south of the U.S.-Mexico border in the San Rafael Valley.
It came after months of protests from conservation advocates who attempted to save the cottonwood trees from being demolished for a double border wall.
Federal prosecutors are now charging the woman with a Class A misdemeanor for allegedly violating a closure order from the Bureau of Land Management.
The tree itself was located in Mexico, but prosecutors allege the woman attached herself to construction equipment, interrupting border wall construction for up to 20 minutes.
According to protesters, authorities had attempted to remove the woman from the tree, but sawed away the platform she'd been sitting on, and she remained in the tree for about 20 hours before climbing down.
And with a similar story, construction of the border wall in Low Keel, southern Arizona, has sparked a dispute involving the Santa Cruz County Sheriff and the Arizona Sheriff's Association.
In response to criticism of Santa Cruz Sheriff David Hathaway's decision not to respond to some border wall protests at Low Keel on October 5th, he says federal agents repeatedly asked his office to remove individuals who were peacefully protesting on private property.
Hathaway said in a statement the protesters posed no threat and argued border security as a federal government's responsibility.
He also says federal agents used tear gas and dragged protesters away during confrontations.
The sheriff is also questioning the Arizona Sheriff's Association political neutrality, saying he stopped paying dues after efforts to get the organization to adopt a nonpartisan stance felt.
Hathaway says construction of that section of the wall is now complete, although some property owners continue to report difficulties accessing their land.
Now back to Tucson, student organizations at the University of Arizona have begun circulating a petition urging officials to declare the college a sanctuary campus free of immigration enforcement activities.
AZPM first spoke with UA Resist member Mara Short in May when they said the group was working to gather community support for the effort.
The idea is that ICE and CBP aren't allowed to be there or to enforce, and that on a campus, the campus police can't collaborate so that students and faculty and staff can't be kidnapped from campus.
The petition also urges the administration to remove surveillance cameras that use facial recognition and ban federal immigration agencies from job fairs on campus.
There have not been any recorded incidents of ICE activity on the U of A campus so far this year.
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