Arizona has started using shipping containers to fill the gap in another section of the state’s southern border with Mexico despite criticism from the Biden administration.
Republican Gov. Doug Ducey announced the effort for Cochise County on Monday after federal officials told him to move previously installed containers.
The new section is estimated to take more than 2,700 shipping containers to fill the 10-mile gap along the southern border.
“Today, we continued to follow through on our promise to add physical barriers to the border where possible,” Ducey tweeted.
On Friday, we committed to moving forward with our Border Barrier Mission – undeterred by the Biden admin’s efforts to reverse our progress.
Today, we continued to follow through on our promise to add physical barriers to the border where possible. 1/ pic.twitter.com/eUk3LPD99E
— Doug Ducey (@DougDucey) October 24, 2022
“The unresolved border and public safety crisis caused by the Biden admin continues – in Arizona, we don’t stand idly by when our citizens need us most. Arizona isn’t afraid of a challenge. We will not back down. We will protect our state,” he added.
The decision to expand the use of shipping containers to address the border crisis follows a lawsuit filed by Arizona last week to affirm the state’s right to defend itself.
“Our border communities are overwhelmed by illegal activity as a result of the Biden administration’s failure to secure the southern border,” Ducey said in a statement.
“Arizona is taking action to protest on behalf of our citizens. With this lawsuit, we’re pushing back against efforts by federal bureaucrats to reverse the progress we’ve made. The safety and security of Arizona and its citizens must not be ignored. Arizona is going to do the job that Joe Biden refuses to do — secure the border in any way we can. We’re not backing down,” he added.
The lawsuit came after Ducey refused to comply with a demand by the Biden administration to remove shipping containers in the Yuma area.
The Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs sent a letter to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Tuesday to inform the administration that the state would not remove the containers until a permanent barrier is constructed.
“Arizonans cannot — and will not — wait for federal bureaucrats to do their job and secure the border. We’re taking action now,” Ducey tweeted Wednesday.
The Border Barrier Mission took 11 days to fill 3,820 feet of gaps in the border wall, using 130 shipping containers to complete the project, according to Ducey’s office.
Arizona state Republican Sen. Sine Kerr also vowed that the state would not be stopped from protecting its citizens.
“Yuma has experienced a humanitarian and national security crisis for far too long. The Biden administration created this problem, they need to end it and stop this bureaucracy game,” Kerr said in the statement.