The dreadful-looking, rusted shipping container wall along the US state of Arizona’s border with Mexico will be taken down. The verdict was reached when the US government sued, claiming that the improvised wall had been constructed unlawfully on federal property. Outgoing Republican Governor Dough Ducey, who was in charge of installing the containers—which run nearly seven miles along the border and cost taxpayers $90 million—agreed with the ruling on Wednesday, according to court filings.
Arizona will remove all previously installed shipping containers and associated equipment by 2023
“By 4 January 2023, to the extent feasible and so as not to cause damage to United States’ lands, properties, and natural resources, Arizona will remove all previously installed shipping containers and associated equipment, materials, and vehicles,” read the agreement.
According to Ducey, the containers were placed to stem the flow of migrants crossing into the country. Earlier this year, he said the containers were a temporary fix and that his government was going ahead with its plans to close the gaps in the border. “Our border communities are being used as the entryway to the United States, overwhelming law enforcement, hospitals, nonprofits, and residents. It’s our responsibility to protect our citizens and law enforcement from this unprecedented crisis,” added Ducey.
The Biden administration is more tolerant on migrants, allowing them to infiltrate through the porous borders
But as Democrat Katie Hobbs, the next governor, prepares to enter office in January, the Biden administration has begun to move. On behalf of the Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Agriculture, and the Forest Services, the Justice Department filed the case last week. In that document, the federal government demanded that the containers in the San Rafael valley be removed.
“Officials from Reclamation and the Forest Service have notified Arizona that it is trespassing on federal lands. This action also seeks damages for Arizona’s trespasses, to compensate the United States for any actions it needs to take to undo Arizona’s actions and to remediate – to the extent possible – any injuries to the United States properties and interests,” read the complaint.
Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans have been able to come up with a workable solution for the problem of the influx of foreigners into the US, particularly from Mexico, which is a close neighbor. The Biden administration is more tolerant on migrants, allowing them to infiltrate through the porous borders, in contrast to Republicans under former President Donald Trump who was more focused on creating physical boundaries, frequently repeating the slogan “Build That Wall.” As a result, over most of this year, states like Arizona and Texas bused undocumented immigrants to the White House and Vice President Kamala Harris’s home in Washington, DC.