Day by day West

DAY ONE: Arizona’s high desert and border walls

A drive across the arid high desert of southern Arizona brought the crew to the border town of Douglas, population 17,000.  Mayor Robert Uribe discussed creating an environment of unity with his sister city across the Mexican border.

After a walk along an 18-foot steel wall at the Douglas-Mexico border, we headed 45 minutes east to visit with Dr. Gary Thrasher, a large-animal veterinarian in Hereford.  He showed us a different kind of border “wall” — a six-strand barbed wire fence and steel barrier in the San Rafael Valley.

Douglas, Arizona

Douglas Mayor Robert Uribe discusses border controls with Bruce Hawker.
The steel wall in Douglas.
A man returns to Mexico from the United States.
A checkpoint in Douglas for vehicles entering from Mexico.

San Rafael Valley

Along the valley, a barbed-wire fence and “Normandy” barrier separates the two countries.
Dr. Gary Thrasher tells Hawker that the border would be more secure from illegal immigrants and drugs if the U.S. Border Patrol actively managed the international boundary.
San Rafael Valley, Arizona.
Trasher and Hawker share a laugh while discussing border security.

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