A federal agency is investigating whether a private gate that has closed a border crossing along the U.S.-Mexico line on Native American land can stay up, or whether it needs to come down.
For 70 years, the Tohono O’odham tribe held a unique agreement with the governments of the U.S. and Mexico to cross into either country through an exclusive opening known as the San Miguel Gate, located in a rural area to the west of Nogales over the Baboquivari Mountains.
A private landowner in Mexico erected his own gate in March, effectively shuttering the San Miguel crossing. O’odham tribal leaders say this new gate prevents members from crossing the border on their own land.
Now the International Boundary and Water Commission is investigating the dispute. A spokeswoman for the commission said its power is limited, but that it is investigating whether the new gate meets set-back requirements and whether it could potentially restrict the commission’s ability to maintain the boundary monuments that dot the entire 1,954 mile border.
Read More: Native American Border Crossing Threatened
