THE us Government is suing Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and the state over the placement of shipping containers as a barrier on the border with Mexico, reports the Associated Press.
The complaint filed in US District Court comes three weeks before the Republican governor steps aside for Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs.
Mr Ducey told US officials that Arizona is ready to help remove the containers, which he says were placed as a temporary barrier.
However, Mr Ducey wants the US government to say when it will fill any remaining gaps in the permanent border wall as it announced it would a year ago.
Border security was a focus of Donald Trump's presidency and remains a primary issue for Republican politicians.
The Department of Justice complaint asks the court to order Arizona to halt placement and remove the containers in remote San Rafael Valley in southeastern Cochise County.
Placing up to 3,000 containers cost US$95 million and is about a third complete.
'Officials from Reclamation and the Forest Service have notified Arizona that it is trespassing on federal lands,' said the complaint.
The Justice Department sued on behalf of the Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Agriculture, and the Forest Service it oversees.
US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack declared that the project 'is not an effective barrier; it poses safety hazards to both the public and those working in the area and has significantly damaged public land.'
'We need serious solutions at our border, with input from local leaders and communities. Stacking shipping containers is not a productive solution.'
SeaNews Turkey
The complaint filed in US District Court comes three weeks before the Republican governor steps aside for Democratic Governor-elect Katie Hobbs.
Mr Ducey told US officials that Arizona is ready to help remove the containers, which he says were placed as a temporary barrier.
However, Mr Ducey wants the US government to say when it will fill any remaining gaps in the permanent border wall as it announced it would a year ago.
Border security was a focus of Donald Trump's presidency and remains a primary issue for Republican politicians.
The Department of Justice complaint asks the court to order Arizona to halt placement and remove the containers in remote San Rafael Valley in southeastern Cochise County.
Placing up to 3,000 containers cost US$95 million and is about a third complete.
'Officials from Reclamation and the Forest Service have notified Arizona that it is trespassing on federal lands,' said the complaint.
The Justice Department sued on behalf of the Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Agriculture, and the Forest Service it oversees.
US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack declared that the project 'is not an effective barrier; it poses safety hazards to both the public and those working in the area and has significantly damaged public land.'
'We need serious solutions at our border, with input from local leaders and communities. Stacking shipping containers is not a productive solution.'
SeaNews Turkey