PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey agreed Wednesday to dismantle part of the border barrier in his shipping container while the federal government promised to build a new wall in the Yuma area.
The provision is a byproduct of a lawsuit filed last week by the U.S. government over permitted Ducey construction on federal and tribal land. According to documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, the Justice Department would have sought a temporary injunction if no agreement was reached.
“For more than a year, the federal government has touted efforts to resume construction of a permanent border barrier,” said CJ Karamargin, Ducey’s communications director. KTAR News 92.3 FM in a statement Thursday.
“Finally, after the situation at our border turned into a full-blown crisis, they decided to act. It’s better than not being late.”
At the direction of the Republican governor, the crew began installing shipping containers in August to bridge the gap along the Arizona-Mexico border. Construction began in Yuma and moved to other sections of the border. .
A $95 million effort to deploy up to 3,000 containers was about a third completed, but protesters worried about environmental impact recently postponed work in the Coronado National Forest. Did.
According to Wednesday’s agreement, states will remove containers from federal properties in the U.S. Border Patrol’s Yuma Sector by January 4 “to the extent practicable and without damaging U.S. land, property, and natural resources.” to “Remove.
The state also halted construction in the Coronado National Forest and agreed to work with the U.S. Forest Service to determine how best to safely remove containers and equipment while minimizing damage to natural resources. Did.
The provision indicates that US Customs and Border Protection will begin construction of an engineered barrier in the Morelos Dam area of the Yuma Sector. No mention of when it will start.
“We are working with the federal government to ensure that construction of this barrier can begin with the urgency that this issue requires,” said Karamagine.
Republican Yuma County Superintendent Jonathan Lines said. KTAR News Arizona Morning News On Thursday, he said he was happy with the development.
“It’s a shame the state of Arizona had to do a job the federal government didn’t,” he said.
“But part of the agreement stipulates that the federal government must complete the wall after removing these containers.”
Proponents of Ducey’s container barrier say the work is a security issue and will deter illegal immigration, human smuggling and drug smuggling. Opponents feared environmental damage and argued that the activity on federal land was illegal.
The resolution comes two weeks before anti-construction Democrat Katie Hobbs takes office as governor.
Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva said in a statement on Thursday, “The construction of the container wall was a tremendous excess by the State of Arizona and I am pleased that it has been ordered to be dismantled.”
“Taxpayers are once again facing the removal of Governor Ducey’s illegal junkyard border wall that should never have been built on federal and tribal land in the first place.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
