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US judge allows Trump to build border wall on tribal land
A federal judge in Washington has allowed the Trump administration to build 62 miles of border wall on the Tohono O'odham reservation without the tribe's consent, India Today reports. Judge Richard Leon…
The Story in Brief
A federal judge in Washington has allowed the Trump administration to build 62 miles of border wall on the Tohono O'odham reservation without the tribe's consent, India Today reports. Judge Richard Leon denied the tribe's request for a halt, ruling that the government's interest in border security outweighs any harms.
The tribe argued the wall would damage sacred mountain peaks, disrupt religious practices, and separate families living on both sides of the border. The reservation covers 2.8 million acres along the Arizona-Mexico border. Leon called the case 'novel' and said he could not find a similar precedent.
The Indian Opinion
This ruling pits national security against indigenous rights, a familiar conflict in India too. The narrative of 'security first' often drowns out tribal voices, but here the judge explicitly weighed harms and found security heavier. Neither side is wholly right; the wall may deter illegal crossings but could also devastate a community's spiritual life. Watch for whether the tribe appeals to the Supreme Court, and how the actual construction is carried out on sacred ground.
Source: indiatoday.in
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