Tohono O’odham Nation sues DHS over proposed border wall on tribal lands
Tribe says federal agencies lack authority to build without permission
The Tohono O’odham Nation has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security over plans to construct a border wall on the tribe’s lands, according to reporting from ICT. The suit was filed June 16 as DHS prepares to award construction contracts in the coming weeks. Tohono O’odham Chairman Verlon M. Jose said Wednesday at a National Congress of American Indians event in Memphis, Tenn., that Customs and Border Protection does not have legal authority to take or use reservation land without permission.
About 62 miles of the Tohono O’odham Nation’s land border Mexico, according to the ICT reporting. More than 3,000 enrolled members live in the tribe’s ancestral lands in the Mexican state of Sonora, according to the nation. The tribe said construction of a border wall on its reservation would be illegal but that they will continue to support border security. Jose said the nation spends millions of dollars annually on border security and supports protecting both tribal citizens and the United States.
- 1.ICT.
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