What originally began as a small demonstration turned into a two-week protest with residents and environmentalists fighting against outgoing Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s efforts to fix the holes in the U.S.-Mexico border with the use of shipping containers.
Twenty protesters stood out in freezing temperatures over the weekend trying to block the project which was originally started by Ducey in August. According to Ducey’s executive order, the state Department of Emergency and Military Affairs was tasked with filling the gaps in the border wall in Yuma County.
The project was then expanded in Cochise County through the use of 3,000 steel containers. The expansion cost $95 million.
Prior to the protestors blocking access to the site, the work crews had begun stacking hundreds of shipping containers with razor wire along the border with Mexico. Protestors have noted that they are not planning on leaving until all of the containers have been removed.
Ducey, a Republican, has only two weeks left in office before Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, takes over as governor. Hobbs has noted that she is against the border project, but despite her and the federal government’s attempts, Ducey has continued.
Ducey in August said that this project was a response to Biden’s open border policy. He further added that Arizona would no longer be waiting for the administration to do something about border security.
