Trump resumes border wall construction despite tribal objections
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In Arizona, construction crews began building a 100-kilometer section of border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, despite protests from the Tohono O’odham Nation.
The tribe argues the project infringes on their sovereignty and threatens sacred lands. For decades, the Tohono O’odham have opposed a physical barrier on their territory, fearing it will disrupt the free movement of tribal members who live and travel between the two countries for cultural and family reasons.
The tribe filed a lawsuit to halt the wall’s construction, claiming it violates their sovereignty by altering their territorial boundaries. However, a federal judge ruled against them in August, citing a 1907 decree from President Theodore Roosevelt that designated a strip of land along the border as federal territory for combating drug trafficking. Despite the ruling, the Tohono O’odham continue their legal battle with an appeal. The CBP maintains the ‘Tucson 5’ project will help secure a major smuggling corridor.
However, tribal leaders point to a 95 percent decrease in arrests in the sector as evidence the wall is unnecessary. They also express concern for the environmental impact, including potential damage to ceremonial sites, ancestral cemeteries, and a spring called Quitobaquito, which provides habitat for endangered species like the Sonoyta desert tortoise and the Quitobaquito pupfish.
