(DailyVantage.com) – There’s been an ongoing battle between the federal government and the state of Arizona over shipping containers Governor Doug Ducey (R) approved to fill in vulnerable spots on the border wall. Both sides have been relentless, filing lawsuits and seeking court orders to ascertain their rights. Yet, it now appears Ducey has settled with the Justice Department.
Per a court document filed on Thursday, December 22, the state will cease placing shipping containers as a stop-gap measure. It will also remove all of the ones it has placed on national forest lands by January 4. According to the filing, the state will work with officials from both the Customs and Border Protection and US Forest Service to prevent damage to the protected lands.
In an agreement with the Biden administration, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey will take down a makeshift wall made of shipping containers at the Mexico border, settling a lawsuit and political tussle with the U.S. government over trespassing on federal lands. https://t.co/F9NoXZggAX
— The Associated Press (@AP) December 22, 2022
Following the settlement, spokesperson for Ducey, C.J. Karamargin, acknowledged the governor’s action was only meant as a substitute until the federal government took action to plug the vulnerable spaces, virtually leaving an open border. According to The New York Times, Karamargin said the outcome pleased Arizona, “We now have indications that they’re moving closer, that they’re more serious.”
Placing the containers at the border cost taxpayers at least $80 million. It’s unclear how much it will cost the state to remove them and repair any damage.
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