Facebook Twitter Email
THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2002

Tohono O'odham Nation police spend most of their days dealing with Mexican nationals who use the Arizona tribe's 4,500-square-mile reservation to enter the U.S.

It wasn't always that way, The Arizona Daily Star reports. Tribal members were often accepting of border crossers, until the number increased, people started dying in the heat and elderly residents were being harassed.

The police feel the ultimate responsibility lies with the federal government. But in many cases, federal authorities are slow to arrive when called about border crossers and the tribe is forced to let detainees go free.

In a letter to the paper, a member of a group which places water jugs for migrants says the tribe and the federal government don't have enough resources to police the tribe's border with Mexico.

The U.S. Border Patrol has sent special agents on the reservation to try and prevent deaths.

Get the Story:
O'odham can't ignore problem (The Arizona Daily Star 6/13)
Letter: Disaster on Tohono O'Odham land (last item) (Tim Holt. The Arizona Daily Star 6/13)
Border rescue efforts get boost (The Arizona Republic 6/13)
Username: IndianzCom, Password: indianz.com

Related Stories:
Ariz. tribal pastor claims intimidation (6/11)
Border arrests increase on reservation (6/7)
Ariz. tribe pushes citizenship bill (6/4)
Bush announces Mexican border plan (3/22)
Tribal members fear border harassment (11/26)
Tough border policy rejects Mexicans (10/2)
Machines not ready for tough border policy (10/1)
Border policy could affect Tohono O'odham (9/27)
Tohono O'odham elder dies (8/29)
O'odham citizenship bill pushed (6/29)
O'odham delegation on way to D.C. (5/31)
Tribe protests border policies (5/29)
Citizenship for Mexican O'odham sought (1/12)