Rep. Grijalva, Ruiz Call for Immediate Halt to Border Wall Construction on Tribal Lands

TUCSON, AZ — Today, Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva and Congressman Raul Ruiz (CA-25) alongside Representatives Vernonica Escobar (TX-16) and Juan Vargas (CA-52) called on the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Interior (DOI) to immediately suspend construction of secondary border walls until the federal government has meaningfully consulted with the Tohono O’odham Nation.

“As Members of Congress representing communities along the U.S.-Mexico border, including districts directly impacted by border enforcement operations and infrastructure construction, we write to express our serious concerns regarding the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) ongoing construction of secondary border walls. We are deeply concerned by federal government’s failure to meaningfully consult with Tribal Nations regarding projects that may impact sacred sites, cultural resources, and ancestral homelands,” the Members wrote.

The letter also raises concerns about the use of taxpayer dollars on secondary border barriers and urges DHS to pursue more effective, cost-conscious approaches to border security, including modernizing and strengthening ports of entry.

“We are also concerned these projects are wasting an extraordinary amount of taxpayer resources. The overwhelming majority of narcotics interdictions occur at ports of entry, where illicit drugs are typically smuggled through vehicles and commercial cargo rather than between ports of entry. At a time when Congress faces difficult funding decisions, DHS should be able to demonstrate that costly border wall construction is both operationally necessary and a responsible use of taxpayer dollars.” 

We urge DHS and the Department of the Interior (DOI) to immediately suspend further construction activities until meaningful government-to-government consultation has occurred with the Tohono O’odham Nation and Congress has received a full accounting of the project’s impacts on Tribal lands, cultural resources, and surrounding communities,” the Members wrote.

The Members’ letter comes in the wake of the destruction of the Las Playas Intaglio, a sacred cultural resource and significant Indigenous site. The incident underscores the urgent need for the federal government to respect Tribal sovereignty and ensure that future border infrastructure projects do not irreparably damage Tribal lands, cultural resources, and sacred sites. Sites like Quitobaquito Springs are already at risk of destruction, making it critical that the federal government take immediate action to protect these irreplaceable places and the Tribal communities to whom they hold deep cultural and spiritual significance.

Read the full letter here.