Tohono O'odham Nation Files Lawsuit Over New Border Wall Threatening Sacred Sites

On April 28, a DHS contractor demolished a portion of the Las Playas Intaglio, a sacred earth engraving on the Tohono O'odham reservation, prompting Chairman Verlon Jose to label the loss "devastating and entirely avoidable." The tribe responded by filing an injunction in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia to stop a new border-wall segment that would cut through their land. The Trump administration has awarded Sullivan Land Services a contract worth over $1 billion for the Tucson 5 Project, which includes two 30-foot walls spanning 62 miles across the reservation and would also affect sites like Horse Peak.

Federal prosecutors argue the construction is essential for border security, citing a 1907 executive order that placed land within 60 feet of the border under federal control. Tribal attorneys contend the wall infringes on sovereignty, desecrates cultural heritage, and offers no security benefit in the desert terrain. A preliminary hearing before Judge Richard Leon resulted in a delay, leaving the injunction pending. Meanwhile, DHS announced it will dispatch contractors to resume work, while the tribe warned any unapproved entry would be considered trespassing.