SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — As President Donald Trump intensifies immigration enforcement, one border-crossing area is set to receive significant upgrades following a recent influx of funding.
Friendship Park, a symbolic site where families divided by the U.S.-Mexico border meet, has been awarded a $1 million grant from the Mellon Foundation. The park has been closed since early 2020, but the new funding has given hope to its supporters.
John Fanestil, executive director of the nonprofit Friends of Friendship Park, spoke to ABC 10News about the emotional significance of the park.
“You know, we often see people bringing their small children to introduce their children to their grandparents through the border wall. We often see people at the end of their lives, you know, with a terminal illness or very, very elderly people coming to say a final farewell to their loved ones," he says. "Friendship Park has earned a reputation across the years for a a unique location where families separated by the border can gather together."
The Mellon Foundation's grant will enable Friends of Friendship Park to develop a comprehensive plan for the park's future.
Fanestil mentioned that, although there is currently no reopening date due to the current administration's policies, the organization wants to be ready with a proposal when the situation changes.
They envision creating a vibrant space where eventually, people might be able to meet face-to-face without the steel bars that currently divide them.
Further details on the proposed changes to Friendship Park are expected to be shared soon.
