Judge rejects attempt to halt Trump from building border wall along tribe’s reservation

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled Friday that the tribe had not shown that construction would unlawfully change the boundaries of its 2.8-million-acre reservation or amount to an illegal trespass.

Published: August 15, 2026 2:34pm

A federal judge has rejected a request from the Tohono O’odham Nation to temporarily stop the Trump administration from moving forward with plans to build 62 miles of border wall along the tribe’s reservation in southern Arizona.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon ruled Friday that the tribe had not shown that construction would unlawfully change the boundaries of its 2.8-million-acre reservation or amount to an illegal trespass.

The tribe had sought a preliminary injunction, arguing that the project could damage sacred sites, wildlife and other culturally significant resources. It also warned that construction could disrupt communities and families that have historically lived on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.

Leon acknowledged the unusual legal questions raised by the dispute but sided with the administration at this stage, writing that the government's interests in “securing the border, enforcing immigration laws, and ensuring public safety” outweighed the potential harm cited by the tribe.

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