The Tohono O’odham Nation, an Indigenous tribe located along the United States-Mexico border in Arizona, has filed a lawsuit against the US government to halt construction of a border wall through their reservation.

In a statement released on Tuesday, August 26, 2026, the tribe reported that approximately 20 masked and armed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents accompanied construction workers to three locations before dawn. The CBP had established a vehicle blockade and deployed a SWAT team to protect the contractors. The tribe also stated that CBP prevented tribal police from issuing trespassing citations to the construction workers.

Mexican police were reportedly deployed to monitor the area, and surveillance included the use of a tethered balloon. Despite the tensions, the Tohono O’odham Nation noted that interactions between their police and federal law enforcement have remained peaceful and professional, and they will continue to monitor the situation.

The controversy follows a 2023 report by the Government Accountability Office, a US federal watchdog agency, which found that the border wall construction had caused damage to Indigenous land, including blasting at a tribal burial site and altering water flows.

This lawsuit highlights ongoing disputes over border security measures and Indigenous land rights in the region.

Sources