el Don V.93 No. 3 | Page 14

12 SPECIAL REPORT 13 SANTA ANA COLLEGE el Don/eldonnews.org • MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2015 THEIR JOURNEY In 1973 this part of the border was nothing but a barbed wire fence on wooden stakes. Now it is an iron behemoth that prevents families from being together. After visiting with family, park goers must hike back to their vehicle, making the total distance of the trip a 2.8-mile journey, half of which is alongside the heavily guarded wall. / Adrian Gonzalez The hours of operation on the U.S. side are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. U.S. Customs and Border Patrol follows strict guidelines, such as no passing of paraphernalia through the metal grate. / Jose Servin The murals that have been painted on the bars are mostly forms of peaceful protest. Some have been commissioned by Union Indio, a project by Indio beer focused on music and art. / Jorge Campos Some of the murals represent groups of people who have been deported such as the DREAMers Moms and the Deported Veterans. The groups meet about once a month to paint them. / Jorge Campos Pastor Guillermo Navarrete Prince is a member of the Methodist Church. He has been performing mass for the people along the Tijuana side of the wall for three years. / Jorge Campos It is a total of 1.4 miles from the parking lot to the border wall. People who are familiar with the trek sometimes use bicycles to avoid walking on foot the entire way. / Adrian Gonzalez Band members Jose Cota, Jaime Luis Martel and Edward White play folk songs for the service. They use their music as a form of protest against mass deportation. / Jorge Campos The trail leading to Monument Hill runs directly through the Tijuana River National Estuariane Research Reserve, where water is contaminated with raw sewage. / Adrian Gonzalez On the South side, families are allowed to walk up to the wall