Border wall divides Tohono O’odham Nation
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The Tohono O’odham people, who live across parts of Arizona and Mexico, face a disruption to their traditional way of life as the U.S. government plans to build a border wall through their ancestral lands.
For centuries, members of the Tohono O’odham Nation have moved freely between the two countries, maintaining family and community ties. The Trump administration intends to construct a wall that would require tribal citizens to obtain visas to visit relatives or access essential services.
The Tohono O’odham Nation filed a lawsuit in June against the Department of Homeland Security, claiming the wall would seize sovereign land and damage sacred sites. Although a federal judge denied their request to halt construction, the tribe continues to fight the project in court. In late August, law enforcement officers and contractors entered tribal land to begin pre-construction work, despite protests from tribal members who considered it trespassing.
Tohono O’odham Chairman Verlon Jose stated the tribe has worked with border patrol to reduce border crossings by 95 percent in the last two years. He fears the wall will separate families and prevent tribal members in Mexico from accessing healthcare and other benefits available on the U.S. side. The U.S. government has proposed a $1,000 fee for permits allowing tribal members to cross the border, a sum many cannot afford.
Members have established a prayer camp near the San Miguel gate to protest the wall’s construction and preserve their traditional crossings.
