Tribal Leaders Tell Zinke: Wall Would Have 'Negative Impacts'

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke over the weekend toured the U.S.-Mexico border on horseback and met with tribal leaders from the Tohono O'odham Nation, later saying his visit was "very productive" and there was a "shared interest that our borders and families are secure."

The chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation, though, says the Nation is "formally opposed to a wall," and building it would have "substantial negative impacts."

"It is equally clear to us that construction of a wall simply will not further the objective of security the border," Edward Manuel, the tribe's chairman wrote to Zinke on Saturday after the visit. "Accordingly, the construction of a wall along the Nation's border will waste taxpayer money that would be much better spent on more effective safety measures."

President Donald Trump has vowed to build the wall, but his administration still has a long way to go before bringing his pledge to fruition as only $341 million has been allocated by Congress to replace some fencing and "add gates to existing barriers," according to The Atlantic.

The president has requested $18 billion to complete the project.

Manuel said the Nation has "significant experience and knowledge regarding the most effective forms of border security," and a wall "is not the answer to improving border security."

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