Arizona to pay $2.1 million to Biden administration for makeshift border wall.
Arizona to Pay $2.1 Million for Makeshift Border Wall
In a bid to deter illegal immigration into the U.S., Arizona will pay $2.1 million to the federal government for a makeshift border wall made up of shipping containers.
Legal Action and Environmental Remediation
The Department of Justice brought legal action against Arizona in December 2022 after then-Governor Doug Ducey issued an executive order to place shipping containers along the state’s border with Mexico. The Department of Justice claimed that the wall had been erected unlawfully and without authority, damaging the United States. As a result, Ducey agreed to remove the barriers.
Now, Arizona will pay the U.S. Forest Service for environmental remediation efforts, as federal officials stated that the containers had damaged federal land. The containers were placed in Cochise and Yuma counties, where border crossings have been high. The federal suit against Arizona is expected to be withdrawn after the remediation payment is complete.
Arizona’s Response
“Arizona has had enough,” said Ducey in a statement. “We can’t wait any longer. The Biden administration’s lack of urgency on border security is a dereliction of duty. For the last two years, Arizona has made every attempt to work with Washington to address the crisis on our border. Time and time again we’ve stepped in to clean up their mess. Arizonans can’t wait any longer for the federal government to deliver on their delayed promises.”
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The Cost and Opposition
Within 11 days of Ducey’s order, 3,820 feet of the previously open border were closed with 130 shipping containers. The initiative expanded with 6,680 feet of containers stacked two high throughout Cochise County by early November. The barriers reportedly cost around $95 million to install and about $66 million to remove after the Biden administration sued. The containers have since been put up for sale by the state government.
Arizona Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs opposed the construction of the barriers, stating that they were ineffective. “It’s not land that’s our land to put things on. That’s one problem. The containers aren’t working. There are many pictures of people climbing over them,” she said. “It’s a political stunt. It’s a visual barrier that is not actually providing an effective barrier to entry, and I think a waste of taxpayer dollars.”
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