Border wall construction begins in Arizona amid tribal opposition

The Trump administration has begun construction on a section of border wall in southern Arizona, moving forward on a project that has drawn strong opposition from the Tohono Oodham Nation, whose reservation spans the U.S.-Mexico border. The work started early on August 26, 2026, following a federal court ruling that allowed the project to proceed. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stated that approximately 20 of its officers, working with contractors, entered the tribe's land to begin activities including soil sampling at three separate locations near the border.