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Pima County Board reaffirms opposition to border wall after Tohono O'odham request
Summary
After a presentation by the Tohono O'odham Nation, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 4–1 to approve Resolution 2026‑37 reaffirming opposition to construction of a border wall on tribal lands and to support the nation's federal lawsuit.
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted 4–1 on July 14 to approve Resolution 2026‑37 reaffirming opposition to construction of a border wall on lands belonging to the Tohono O'odham Nation.
Chairman Berlin Jose of the Tohono O'odham Nation told the board the nation filed suit in federal court on June 16 to stop the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from awarding contracts to build a wall on reservation land. "Our lawsuit argues that the construction of a border wall by DHS would illegally take nation's land and decrease the size of our reservation," Jose said, adding that contractors would trespass and that construction “would destroy sacred cultural sites important to us.”
Why it matters: Jose said the nation has already spent millions securing its own lands and described infrastructure the nation has accepted — vehicle barriers, patrol roads and integrated sensor towers — that reduced apprehensions on the reservation by more than 95 percent in the past two years. He asked the county to demonstrate solidarity in court and with the public record as the nation litigates the issue.
Board reaction was supportive but included one dissenting vote. Supervisor Scott thanked the nation for the presentation and cited the nation's collaborative approach to border security, saying the nation’s measures are ‘‘modern, robust and dynamic’’ and have lowered detentions by 95 percent. The chair read the resolution and called the vote; the clerk recorded the measure as Resolution number 2026‑37, which passed 4–1.
What the resolution does: The approved text affirms Pima County’s support for the Tohono O'odham Nation’s lawsuit, reaffirms opposition to construction of a border wall on tribal lands and objects to further militarization of the border region.
Next steps: The Tohono O'odham Nation indicated the county’s resolution will be included in its court record and used to demonstrate local public support for the nation’s legal challenge.
