Arizona Set to Auction Border Wall Containers

The State of Arizona announced the public auction of Ex-Governor Doug Ducey’s “border wall” shipping containers, set to begin on 10/16/23. The Biden Administration sued Arizona for building the container wall to stem the illegal migrant invasion, which has cost the state over $2M. Ducey created the temporary border barrier using empty freight containers because Biden refused to continue building the wall started under President Donald Trump. This week, the Biden Administration, under massive pressure from record-high crossings and some high-profile members of his own party, reversed course and suddenly embraced an idea he’s been mocking since before he became president.

Unfortunately for Arizona, despite the effectiveness in stemming the flow in stretches of the Arizona-Mexico border, Biden took exception to the Ducey-built wall under claims of trespass by the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Forest Service. During her campaign, Governor Hobbs sided with Biden’s Administration, vowing to cease wall construction.

The move against Arizona fits a Biden Administration pattern of refusing to uphold immigration and border laws and thwart states’ efforts to do the same. In July, Biden’s Justice Department filed suit requiring Texas to remove the river buoys it placed in the Rio Grande River. According to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, the floating barrier proved highly effective at reducing the onslaught of illegal crossings.

Recent events at the border, including increased releases of illegals directly into Arizona’s cities, make the destruction of the makeshift wall even more devastating. In a story on the Arizona Globe on 9/17/23, the U.S. Border Patrol arranged for migrants from as far away as Senegal, Africa, to be released into the state’s interior with little more than a promise to appear in 2025.

Despite the massive influx, Arizona dismantled the freight container wall and began selling them over the summer. At an average cost of approximately $1,500 per container, the state hopes to recoup some of the initial $194M investment. The remaining 2000 containers should gross around $3M in auction sales.