Arizona dismantles shipping container wall on US-Mexico border

HEREFORD, United States: A wall of shipping containers installed just a few months ago by the then- governor of Arizona at a $100 million cost to US taxpayers was being dismantled on Saturday.Republican Doug Ducey ordered the huge line of shipping containers to be placed at the frontier between the United States and Mexico, during the final months of his administration, in what he said was a bid to stem illegal immigration.

But after being sued by Washington for putting the containers on federal land in the Coronado National Forest, Ducey -- who has since been succeeded by Democrat Katie Hobbs -- agreed in December to remove them.

“I couldn´t believe that Governor Ducey thought that it was a good idea,” said Debbie McGuire, as a truck barreled down a dusty road carrying an empty container away.

“It´s absolutely ludicrous. To put containers that weren´t going to work ever to keep anybody out,” she said.

“I just can´t believe he thought it was a good idea. Ridiculous, and a total waste of taxpayer money.”

Ducey´s container wall effort began in the middle of 2022, and quickly ran into opposition, with critics slamming it as a cynical political move that would damage the environment and make no difference to the number of illegal border crossings.