Here are some spiny stems of a Mexican Fan Palm that I've stuck in my pot to keep some predators away.  

Good idea....I don't have any palms growing here.  The squirrels will dig up anything and everything, usually killing the plant.  I started cutting up small pieces of rabbit fencing and partially burrying them in the dirt around the plants, making sure there were sharp edges facing up.  The squirrels stop digging pretty fast when they hit the sharp edges of the fencing. 

Wow!  I just slayed about 30 baby mexican fan palms yesterday with a hand saw.  They pop up everywhere!  Serious weeds here.  They are really tough to dig out, once that tap root gets going.  Easy to slay though.  If the growth stem is severed, the tree will die.  Not sure if it would't provide too much competition for the fig though.  I'd go with the fencing, and will for sure once we get things in-ground!

Suzi