Arizona is now joining its fellow border state of Texas in filling gaps in the U.S. Border wall with Mexico.
The Daily Wire reports:
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey (R) signed an Executive Order Friday afternoon authorizing the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs to begin emergency construction to fill in a 1,000-foot-long gap in the border wall in the Yuma sector. The spur-of-the-moment order was abruptly announced after construction had already begun, and the governor’s office said construction would be concluded over the weekend. The order comes just days after the Biden administration lifted the “Remain in Mexico” policy earlier this week.
“Arizona has had enough,” Ducey said in a statement. “We can’t wait any longer. The Biden administration’s lack of urgency on border security is a dereliction of duty. For the last two years, Arizona has made every attempt to work with Washington to address the crisis on our border. Time and time again we’ve stepped in to clean up their mess. Arizonans can’t wait any longer for the federal government to deliver on their delayed promises.”
“Our border communities are being used as the entryway to the United States, overwhelming law enforcement, hospitals, nonprofits and residents,” Ducey added. “It’s our responsibility to protect our citizens and law enforcement from this unprecedented crisis. With the resources and manpower in the right places, our Border Patrol and law enforcement will be better equipped to do their jobs well and prevent cartels from exploiting our communities. That’s exactly what our barrier mission will do.”
To construct the barrier, the state purchased 60 8,800 pound, 9×40 foot shipping containers. The containers will be linked together, then welded shut and topped with concertina razor wire. The barrier will be about 22 feet high, shorter than the 30-foot panels of border wall installed by the Trump administration. The project is expected to cost about $6 million, which will be taken from the $335 million “Arizona Border Security Fund.”
