Homeland Security and Tohono O’odham Nation reach agreement

The Department of Homeland Security and the Tohono O’odham Nation of Arizona have agreed to develop a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) that will utilize an Enhanced Tribal Card (ETC).

The ETC will verify tribal citizenship and identity for the purpose of entering the United States by land or sea.

“This agreement will strengthen safety along our borders while providing Tohono O’odham members a secure and standardized ID card,” said Secretary Napolitano. “In the months ahead, we will continue to build upon these efforts—from secure identification to preparing for emergencies—with our tribal partners across the country.”

The agreement reflects Secretary Napolitano’s commitment of close coordination with tribal partners across the United States on security initiatives and underscores the mutual commitment of DHS and the Tohono O’odham Nation to enhance border security and combat threats of terrorism and transnational crime through secure identification.

Since January, CBP has also signed agreements with the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, the Pascua Yaqui of Arizona and the Seneca Nation of New York. CBP is currently working with approximately 25 additional tribes across the country on the ETC initiative.

There are over 28,000 enrolled citizens of the Tohono O’odham Nation. The Nation’s lands contain 75 miles of the international border in south-western Arizona and extend into Mexico, covering an area the size of Connecticut.

Get the entire press release.

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