.
 |
| Border Wall contractors bulldozing saguaro cactus near Ajo, Arizona. |
Tohono Nation Files Lawsuit Over Plans to Take Tribal Land for Border Wall
The Tohono O'odham Nation filed a federal lawsuit to halt the seizure of tribal land for the border wall, pointing out that the United States government is disregarding tribal sovereignty and construction will destroy sacred sites and impact ceremonies and religious practices.
"The Nation has not consented to the construction of a border wall or associated
infrastructure across its Reservation," the Tohono O'odham Nation said in the lawsuit.
The Tohono O'odham Nation said the construction would destroy petroglyphs that are "perpetual prayers," block ancient trails and disrupt the lives of O'odham families who live on both sides of the border.