Federal judge allows border wall through tribal land

A federal judge on Friday, August 14, 2026, denied the Tohono O'odham Nation's request for a preliminary injunction to halt construction of a 62-mile section of the southern border wall through its reservation in southern Arizona. U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon of the District of Columbia ruled in favor of the Trump administration, finding the tribe was unlikely to succeed on its legal claims and that the government's interest in border security outweighed the potential harms.

The lawsuit, filed by the tribe on June 16, sought to block the Department of Homeland Security from proceeding with the project on its 2.8-million-acre reservation without consent. The tribe argued the construction would unlawfully alter its reservation boundaries, constitute a trespass, and cause significant cultural and environmental damage, including the destruction of sacred sites like Baboquivari Mountain and the separation of O'odham communities and families divided by the international border. In a joint statement, tribal Chairman Verlon M. Jose and Vice Chairwoman Carla L. Johnson said they strongly disagreed with the ruling and were considering all options for moving forward. "The...