Biden Now Demanding Removal of Shipping Containers at the Border

The Biden Administration has demanded that the shipping containers located at the border be removed immediately, and recent reports indicate that Arizona is not rushing to comply with the demand.

Doug Ducey, the Republican governor of Arizona, will not immediately cooperate with the Biden administration’s demand that the state removes shipping containers placed there this summer to repair gaps in the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

On Monday, the Associated Press reported that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation stated in a letter sent last week that Arizona violated federal law by storing more than 100 containers on federal land and the grounds of the Cocopah Indian Tribe’s West Reservation.

The letter stated that the unlawful installation of these containers was a violation of federal law and trespass against the United States. This trespass damages federal lands and resources and hinders Reclamation’s ability to carry out its mission.

The containers were positioned at Yuma, southwest Arizona, along the state boundary with California. The Bureau of Reclamation stated that it had issued a contract to cover two holes in the border wall on its territory and expected to shortly award a second contract to close two additional gaps.

According to a spokesperson, the Ducey administration is taking a wait-and-see stance.

Ducey spokesperson C.J. Karamargin told the Washington Examiner about the letter we doubt their legal analysis and are considering our options.

Karamartin stated that the 120 containers had been in place since August.

Why did it take the federal government till August to issue a letter? If this indicates their degree of urgency, then perhaps this explains our dilemma, he stated.

Ducey’s staff has lost patience with the Biden administration, pointing out that it promised to start filling in the wall gaps in December.

As a result of Senator Kelly’s announcement, the Department of Homeland Security will begin hiring a builder to fill in gaps in the wall in Yuma, the Examiner reported. Governor Ducey pushed forward, stating that he had given the government ample time to act, and they had not moved on the wall.

In an August news release, Ducey stated, “Arizona has had enough.”

“We can’t wait any longer,” declared the governor. The Biden administration’s lack of urgency about border security is a breach of duty. Arizona has made every effort over the past two years to collaborate with Washington to address the border situation.

Immediately after assuming office, President Biden issued an executive order halting the construction of the wall that the Trump administration was constructing along the southern border of the United States, leaving several gaps.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection stated that between Oct. 1 and Aug. 31, approximately 284,078 migrants were detained unlawfully entering the United States in the Yuma sector, a 208 percent increase compared to the same time in fiscal 2021.

Mayor Doug Nicholls of Yuma, Arizona, stated in an August statement that the municipality lacks the infrastructure to manage thousands of individuals crossing the border who need food, housing, and medical assistance.

Yuma has endured the most severe effects of the border issue. The Republican Mayor stated that they appreciate Governor Ducey for ingraining himself in this subject and finding answers.

The Cocopah tribe supported the Biden administration’s efforts to remove the containers. On Monday,  the Cocopah tribe stated that they feel the Bureau is taking the required and proper measures to fix this matter. The border will be secured in collaboration with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.