This major announcement spells out good news for the state of Arizona. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has decided to drop its lawsuit against Arizona for the placement of shipping containers on the southern border. A long-standing battle between Arizona and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and Forest Service has come to an end as both lawsuits have now been voluntarily dismissed.
The DOJ has dropped the lawsuit against AZ for stacking shipping containers at the borderhttps://t.co/lXE4ZLg1IU
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 22, 2023
It all began in 2022 when then-Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey issued an executive order to fill a gap in the border wall with double-stacked shipping containers which led to a lawsuit being filed by Arizona over their right to do so when told otherwise by federal agencies.
After the DOJ filed its own lawsuit in December, Arizona was forced to take down all containers and “completed extensive remediation work on National Forest lands that had been damaged” before paying $2.1 million as part of their agreement with the DOJ.
In total, they spent close to $95 million dollars for installation and removal of these shipping containers alone – proving their commitment towards this project but also making it clear why this issue needed resolution sooner rather than later for financial reasons as well as safety concerns along our borders with Mexico.
U.S Attorney Gary Restaino from District of Arizona released a statement saying: “When Arizona unilaterally placed hundreds of shipping containers on tribal and federal land back in 2022, it made the border less safe…The containers have now been removed and the land restored.”
It is evident that this decision is seen as a win not only for Republicans but also those who are actively trying to protect our borders from illegal immigrants or smugglers alike while still maintaining fiscal responsibility at the same time without compromising national security along our southern states’ shared boundaries with Mexico.
The Governor’s office did not give comment immediately following the news release concerning dismissal of the lawsuits between two sides but many anticipate more details will soon be provided about exactly what prompted this joint decision to end litigation.
