09/03/2026
Tribal members and activists are continuing tree sits, blockades and a prayer camp at several points along the U.S.–Mexico border in Arizona to resist the Trump administration’s border wall expansion, which they say amounts to ecocide and violates Tribal sovereignty.
Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Verlon Jose says the proposed wall across the Nation’s sovereign territory threatens sacred sites, ceremonies, ancestral remains and existing security infrastructure. The Nation has sued the Department of Homeland Security and is challenging the recent entry of armed federal agents and contractors onto its land. Tribal members have established a prayer camp near threatened sacred sites but are not currently asking non-O’odham people to join them.
In neighboring Lochiel, Arizona, land defenders have used tree sits and blockades to halt construction near “Grandmother,” a centuries-old cottonwood tree, and an ancestral cemetery. Tensions escalated after protesters stopped National Guard personnel from using a private road for construction activities. A law-enforcement helicopter used by the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office later circled the encampment, despite the blockade being outside Cochise County. Protesters described the flight as intimidation but say they remain committed to peaceful resistance.
KPFA News Director Lauren Schmitt is reporting from the ground and sharing coverage on the Pacifica Evening News at 6 p.m. on KPFA, KPFK and KFCF, and across the Pacifica Network.
