Outgoing Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has agreed to tear down a makeshift border wall that sparked a federal government lawsuit and enraged environmentalists.
According to court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Phoenix, Ducey agreed with the Biden administration on Wednesday to stop installing shipping containers on federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The agreement comes just one week after federal officials sued Ducey’s administration, alleging that the border project was built illegally on federal land.
Arizona is required to remove containers installed in the Coronado National Forest by January 4. State agencies must work with the US Forest Service to ensure that materials are removed safely and without causing further damage to natural resources.
“We’re ecstatic,” said Robin Silver of the Center for Biological Diversity, which filed a notice of intent to sue Ducey’s office over the wall earlier this month due to environmental concerns.
Protesters spent weeks camping along the border wall in freezing temperatures, vowing to stay until the containers were removed.
Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, has stated her opposition to the container project but has stopped short of saying she will demolish it when she takes office in January.
Ducey’s spokesman, C.J. Karamargin, said the project was always intended to be a temporary solution until the Biden administration agreed to resume construction of a wall begun by President Donald Trump.
With only a few weeks left in office, Ducey has stepped up efforts to secure his state’s border with Mexico, citing an increase in illegal crossings caused by confusion over Title 42, which limits the number of asylum-seekers who can enter the United States.
The Trump administration’s policy was set to expire this week, but the United States Supreme Court issued a temporary stay on Monday. It is unknown when the court will rule on the matter.
Meanwhile, Ducey’s office said it is working with local and state officials to deploy additional resources to places like Yuma County, which declared an emergency Wednesday ahead of the repeal of Title 42. Details are still being worked out, according to Karamargin.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas authorized US Customs and Border Protection to move forward with border projects in several regions, including Yuma County, Arizona, earlier this month.
The assurance from federal officials, according to Karamargin, paved the way for Ducey to agree to remove the shipping containers.
“For more than a year, the federal government has been touting their effort to resume construction of a permanent border barrier,” he claimed. “Finally, after the situation on our border has turned into a full-blown crisis, they’ve decided to act. Better late than never.”
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas authorized US Customs and Border Protection to move forward with border projects in several regions, including Yuma County, Arizona, earlier this month.
The assurance from federal officials, according to Karamargin, paved the way for Ducey to agree to remove the shipping containers.