The Tohono O'odham Nation is the second largest, federally recognized, Native American tribe, located within the Sonoran desert in south-central Arizona. Their reservation includes 62 miles of an international border, and they have 34,000 members with more than 2,000 members living in Mexico.

Since the early 18th century, the Tohono O’odham's land has been inhabited by foreign governments. Mexico ruled their territory after gaining independence from Spain, and then in 1853 the region was divided almost in half because of the Gadsden Purchase, an agreement between the United States and Mexico that provided 29,670 square miles of Mexican territory to the U.S. for the creation of the southern transcontinental railroad. The purchased plot later became part of Arizona and New Mexico and separated the nation's communities.

Presently, the Tohono O’odham tribe continues to fight for the preservation of their land and their people. President Trump’s proposed border wall initiatives will divide families and tribal communities, and prevent tribal members from participating in religious and cultural ceremonies and events. The building of a wall will also lead to a disruption of wildlife and will negatively impact agricultural land. 

President Trump continuously states that constructing a border wall is essential to the national security of the United States because "illegal aliens" entering the country pose a national security and a public safety threat. However, the Tohono O'odham Nation is working alongside the FBI, Border Patrol, and ICE to secure the border. Moreover, the tribe created the Native American Targeted Investigations of Violent Enterprises (NATIVE) task force to stop the smuggling of illegal drugs into the United States. These organizations have apprehended approximately 76,000 undocumented individuals in 2003 and a little over 14,000 in 2016. The Tohono O'odham Nation share some of the same concerns associated with border security, but they recognize the impracticality of building a border wall because it won't stop the flow of undocumented immigrants and the smuggling of illegal substances. So what real change will come out of creating a border wall? NONE.

After President Trump signed Executive Order 13767, over 20 tribal resolutions opposing the wall have been signed by the Tohono O’odham Legislative Council. 

Together let's stand up against President Trump and oppose the construction of a $5.7 million border wall on the southern border!

Sign this petition to protect the Tohono O’odham Nation from losing their most sacred rights as American citizens and from being further alienated from their tribal members!