“We See No Border”: The Tohono O’odham Fight Against the Border Wall

The irreparable harm that has already been done, says tribal chairman Verlon Jose, you can feel it, hear it, in the people.

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Border Militarization
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September 10, 2026

On August 26, 2026, dozens of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents escorted a convoy of private contractors onto Tohono O’odham Nation land, despite the tribe’s opposition to the construction of a border wall on its sovereign land. The U.S. government is proposing to build not just one 30-foot wall, but eventually two walls, ringed with surveillance towers and stadium lights. Border Chronicle video reporter Erin Patrick O’ Connor reported from the Tohono O’odham Nation, interviewing tribal chairman Verlon Jose and tribal member Amy Juan, among others, about what the construction of a wall will mean for the tribe’s binational way of life with members residing in both Arizona and Sonora, Mexico.

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Author
Erin Patrick O'Connor

Erin Patrick O’Connor is a video reporter and podcast producer working with The Border Chronicle, where he produces the bi-weekly podcast and social videos. O’Connor’s reporting centers on issues shaping the Southwest and the influence of climate change and access to natural resources.

Erin was previously a senior national video reporter for The Washington Post, covering climate, and immigration. In 2025, he covered Border Patrol and ICE immigration raids in Los Angeles, Charlotte, North Carolina and Minneapolis. Additionally, he has documented hurricanes, wildfires, regional battles over access to public lands, and even went on tour with Sinead O’Connor. He is a two-time Pulitzer Prize Finalist for his coverage of the 2019 mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio and his contribution to The Post’s investigation into the DEA’s failed response to the production and trafficking of fentanyl in 2023, producing a short documentary about first responders in San Diego. In 2022, He was dispatched to Ukraine as Russian tanks began to move toward the capital city of Kyiv. O’Connor reported from the western city of Lviv, documenting the refugee crisis. 

He now spends his time hiking throughout southern Arizona, looking for beardless chinchweed and filming border wall construction. 

Comments (2)
  1. Melissa del Bosque
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    September 10, 2026 at 10:30 am

    Agreed, thanks Ed for your comment.

    Reply
  2. Ed Williamson
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    September 10, 2026 at 9:36 am

    If only our country was wise enough to listen to the wisdom of those who were here before us.
    It pains me to see the damage being done.

    Reply
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