December 24, 2022

"Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona agreed on Wednesday to tear down a makeshift border wall built out of old shipping containers..."

"... ending a divisive border security effort that sparked protests and legal challenges. The agreement came as part of a lawsuit filed last week by the Biden administration... [arguing] that Mr. Ducey’s wall was constructed illegally on federal land... The project, funded by the Republican-controlled State Legislature, has cost at least $82 million...."

The NYT reports.

70 comments:

I Have Misplaced My Pants said...

Cool, cool. Let’s go for four million this year. Maybe five!

Howard said...

Let the triggering begin. Merry Christmas, snowflakes 😜

rwnutjob said...

Of course. Only 234,000 encounters with illegals at the border last month, a number released after the porkulous bill passed, a bill that cost every congressional district $200m in tax money, a debt to be paid by citizens' grandchildren.

Don't forget the $100b to Ukraine, more than the defense budget of Russia.

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to eat free

The uniparty knows. We know. They know we know.

They don't care.

Humperdink said...

Howard .... loving the illegal invasion. To what end he knows not. Unfortunately we know.

Temujin said...

It's a wonder of our times. The Federal Government refuses to secure our border and mocks the states for not doing enough to secure their own border. When the states try to take action to secure their border, the Federal Government takes them to court to prevent them from doing so.

One would almost think the Federal Government's plan does not include 'security'- national or otherwise. I know. Crazy thought.

Achilles said...

Howard said...
Let the triggering begin. Merry Christmas, snowflakes 😜

80% of women and girls travelling to the US border through Mexico are raped.

But Howard is not really concerned about such things.

Howard thinks this is just peachy and another opportunity to make a joke because some other people find this situation appalling.

Howard is just a really sad and empty person.

Ann Althouse said...

Is it too much to ask that politicians not use taxpayer money to perform stunts?

(Yes)

Beasts of England said...

‘Is it too much to ask that politicians not use taxpayer money to perform stunts?’

Which stunt?

Michael said...

The container idea was brilliant. Cheaper than Trump’s wall per mile, a metal canvas stretching for miles, an invitation to the greatest graffiti artists willin to put in the work. Limitless creativity. Bad for the animals but then…. But really bad for the “Asylum” seekers.

Kate said...

Agree, Althouse. And it's my freakin taxpayer money. My GOP state reps were the only candidates on the ballot, running unopposed. Can Elon Musk come in and buy Arizona? It's starting to feel like voting here is the same as complaining about twitter.

Iman said...

Democrats should never hold the reins of power. They are touched in the head, not of serious mind.

Yancey Ward said...

Ducey and the Arizona legislature would have done better to use the money to bus the illegal immigrants to Madison.

DanTheMan said...

$82 million? What an outrage!

I'm sure Zelensky could really have used 0.1% more money to "secure his border from invasion".

Luckily we have an open border, so by definition we don't have to secure ours. That money could have been better spent hiring clerical workers to give meaningless pieces of paper to new D voters... oops, I mean "refugees".

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Opening the border is the worst stunt of all.

JAORE said...

"Is it too much to ask that politicians not use taxpayer money to perform stunts?"

When 2,000,000+ come across and are taged and released. When about another million are not even intercepted.
When the Feds say with a straight face, "The border is secure".
When border states are left to bear the brunt of these invaders without Federal compensation.
When the media nearly completely ignores the massive numbers involved.
When drugs coming across our border is the leading cause of death for our youth.
When the Administration's reaction is to speed up the release of illegals into the country.

Damn right there needs to be stunts!

It wasn't until New York, Martha's Vineyard and other lefty havens felt a TINY bit of the impact that this issue became visible.

MadTownGuy said...

Ann Althouse said...

"Is it too much to ask that politicians not use taxpayer money to perform stunts?

(Yes)
"

Not a stunt. It was an attempt, with limited resources, to do what the Federal Government should have been doing all along. At the least, it mitigated crossings along the AZ border. You know, kind of like mRNA vaccines mitigate the severity of COVID infections, which I readily admit is true. Calling it a "stunt" is disrespectful, and if you're concerned about the cost to remove it, consider that the rationale for doing so is more aesthetic than environmentally responsible.

Bruce Hayden said...

“ Is it too much to ask that politicians not use taxpayer money to perform stunts?”

Except that the stunt was the USG suing AZ to stop it from fulfilling their (USG’s) duty to protect our borders.

Mark said...

Achilles, how does keeping them stuck in Mexico solve the problem you raise?

Hint, it doesn't

285exp said...

“Is it too much to ask that politicians not use taxpayer money to perform stunts?”
I didn’t know this was a J6 thread.

Mick said...

Democrats: Fighting to keep the border open!

Political Junkie said...

I hate the word "divisive" in a story. Aren't different viewpoints a normal part of life? Are we all supposed to agree on everything? Boring!

hombre said...

Telling, isnt it, that Democrats sue Arizona to keep the border open!

Gotta keep that dark cartel money flowing into DNC coffers.

The administration reputedly agreed to put in the wall as part of the settlement. Were not holding our breath here in Arizona. Biden Taqiyya, you know.

hombre said...

Kate: "My GOP state reps were the only candidates on the ballot, running unopposed."

Not to worry, Kate. Soon Arizona will be blue. Then all will be well.

xxx said...

Let him remove the containers at the same rate the Gubmint honors FOIA requests. AKA: never.

Rusty said...

Mark said...
"Achilles, how does keeping them stuck in Mexico solve the problem you raise?

Hint, it doesn't"
They're not here. Solves the problem handily.
Which state has the highest urban hispanic population?
Illinois. You know why? If you manage to make it over the boarder and get to Chicago you are immediately eligible for benefits. Food, housing, transportation, money. PLUS once you apply for those benefits you are registered to vote.
The state of Arizona tried to solve a problem for the citizens of Arizona. That you don't see as a problem doesn't mean it isn't one. The citizens of Arizona should enjoy the same rights as the rest of us.

Lucien said...

Did the wall save AZ more than $82 in services to illegals?

iowan2 said...

Achilles, how does keeping them stuck in Mexico solve the problem you raise?

What problem? Why is your perceived problem, my problem? The Mexican Drug Cartels are a bigger problem. Can the US "fix" the cartels? We have more than enough drones to eradicate most of them, and drive the remaining so deep into the mountains they will be neutered. The US should abdicate its roll as the police of the world.

rcocean said...

Of course Ducey caved because he never wanted to build it in the first place. Ducey is another fake, the kind that the Republicans constanly nominate and elect. He's basically a Democrat who likes big business and low taxes.

The Arizona Senate Republicans had to investigate the 2020 election fraud on their own, because Ducey didn't want to fight the fraud or do an audit. He was fine with Biden winning. And all his appointees to the US Senate went down in flames, and he didn't seem to care too much.

victoria said...

Putting those containers on Federal lands was pure theater, like Greg Abbott and just about everything he does. Noting to help their constituents, but plenty to play to the fringe crowd. Thank god Ducey is out.


Vicki from Pasadena

stlcdr said...

So, at a cost of $82m a somewhat effective (may be debatable) wall was put up. The feds don't like it. So lets spend another $82m taking it down. Makes sense.

Yeah, it probably won't cost that, but those containers gotta go somewhere. How about moving them *outside* federal lands (might need a few more containers) and making the federal lands part of Mexico.

Joe Smith said...

We don't have a country anymore.

It's nothing like it used to be, and that's not just an old-ish man yelling at clouds.

Pretty much every single part of life is worse than 50 years ago...

n.n said...

Diversity breeds adversity and civil rights violations. The federal government is in contempt of the constitution.

That said, emigration reform to mitigate progress and collateral damage at both ends of the bridge and throughout.

Birches said...

If they have to stay in Mexico they won't come at all. This isn't rocket science.

Birches said...

If they have to stay in Mexico they won't come at all. This isn't rocket science.

Michael K said...


Blogger Howard said...

Let the triggering begin. Merry Christmas, snowflakes 😜


I think Howard just volunteered to house a few illegals. We have plenty of them here in AZ so send me address and I'll send a sample by return bus trip.

Mark said...

Count Rusty as approving of migrant rapes in Mexico, anything is ok as long as they don't make it Illinois.

Birches said...

If they have to stay in Mexico they won't come at all. This isn't rocket science.

Achilles said...

Mark said...
Achilles, how does keeping them stuck in Mexico solve the problem you raise?

Hint, it doesn't



They stay home.

I know you are kinda stupid so you might need capital letters.

THEY STAY HOME.

Well, actually given your post I would say you are incredibly fucking stupid.

Michael K said...


Blogger Mark said...

Achilles, how does keeping them stuck in Mexico solve the problem you raise?

Hint, it doesn't


Lefty Mark thinks more illegals are more Democrat votes. If we don't allow them to sneak in, they vote in their shithole countries. Why are those countries shit holes ? We will find out soon. The illegals are the problem, lefty Mark.

Michael K said...

Blogger victoria said...

Putting those containers on Federal lands was pure theater, like Greg Abbott and just about everything he does. Noting to help their constituents, but plenty to play to the fringe crowd. Thank god Ducey is out.


No, Vicky thank Hobbs and her vote fraud. The containers were an attempt to protect us from invasion. You prefer invasion but CA is becoming the shit hole they are coming from.

Achilles said...

Ann Althouse said...
Is it too much to ask that politicians not use taxpayer money to perform stunts?

(Yes)


What is the stunt?

You live in a coddled wealthy suburb with little crime.

The people in Arizona are being flooded with crime and drugs. They tried to do something to fix the problem.

Are you just trying to be a troll or did you actually mean what you said?

This is the attitude of someone who lives inside the oligarch bubble. You have to get outside into the trashy stuff to find out how this is affecting people in the working and lower class areas.

Yancey Ward said...

Lefty Mark too dumb to read, much less comprehend anything.

Achilles said...

There are 2 options.

1. Make the lives of people in their home countries better and more like the United States was during the Trump presidency.

2. Make the US more like Mexico like Biden is doing.

I think we could do a lot to help these people in south and central america with 100 billion dollars.

The uniparty wants to turn the US into a corrupt narco state.

Democrat and Romney republican voters are just too stupid to see what is going to happen to their lives.

The outflow of people from blue states to red states should be a hint. But they are just stupid people.

Biff said...

Political Junkie said..."I hate the word 'divisive' in a story. Aren't different viewpoints a normal part of life? Are we all supposed to agree on everything? Boring!"

Agreed, especially given the divisive way the word is deployed by the news media.

hombre said...

Vicki from Never-Neverland: "Putting those containers on Federal lands was pure theater."

So you're saying they had no effect on illegal immigration? (And you know that how?)

Or are you saying, as all complicit Democrats appear to be saying, that illegal immigration is unimportant?

Lurker21 said...

Send the shipping containers to California for indigent housing.

Something to brighten Roger Miller's and Boxcar Willie's Christmas.

Lurker21 said...

Enforcing our border laws would mean that fewer women would attempt the journey, so fewer would be raped on the way here.

I would also suppose the longer the journey and the more that women have to deal with smugglers and human traffickers there would be fewer rapes and the chances of being raped would be less.

Not enforcing our border laws makes problems for Americans, but how does it improve the lot of women who were encouraged by Biden to make the journey and then raped along the way?

n.n said...

If they have to stay in Mexico they won't come at all. This isn't rocket science.

Yes, people... persons should not feel compelled to leave home. Emigration reform to mitigate progress and collateral damage at both ends of the bridge and throughout.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Forgive my bluntness but a “divisive effort” is exactly what is required to demarcate the border between countries when traffic across the border is out of control. I’d suspect sly humor at work but progressives and by extension journalists have had any sense of humor beat out of them by their comrades.

PM said...

The Feds are like auto execs refusing to fix a Corvair.

Beasts of England said...

‘Count Rusty as approving of migrant rapes in Mexico…’

Migrants are rapists according to lefty Mark. And he wants them in the US.

madAsHell said...

Why are there federal lands???

Ann Althouse said...

"What is the stunt?"

Putting it up for show and knowing that you will be required to take it back down.

Butkus51 said...

Why are we giving gobs of money to Ukraine again? Borders are bad, right?

Yancey Ward said...

Did they know it would have to be taken down? The Biden Administration didn't have to go to court to try to get it taken down.

Michael K said...

Blogger Ann Althouse said...

"What is the stunt?"

Putting it up for show and knowing that you will be required to take it back down.


I suspect that if Kari Lake had won the election, they would stay. Ducey is a bit of a squish but even he tried to do something about the invasion. Now, with Hobbs/Soros in office the invasion has won. That was what was so important that they had to cheat.

Dude1394 said...

Good old open border democrats, constantly screaming that they are NOT open border democrats. And they’re democrat media backing them up.

Pravda and the communists don’t have anything on the democrat party.

Dude1394 said...

The 82 million number is a load of crap. Prove it. Go look at your local road projects, see what 82 million would buy. The NYTimes is fake news and propaganda.

Dude1394 said...

Too bad Arizona didn’t tell the feds to **** off. Come and do it yourself. The. Back off from “federal land” and make a new Arizona border.

Dude1394 said...

The federal government is now just like a drug cartel.

Dude1394 said...

The federal government is now just like a drug cartel.

Kirk Parker said...

Althouse,

Making the federal government show its hand, revealing itself for the anti-American behemoth it is under deep-state influence and the "Biden" administration, is hardly "just for show".

Achilles said...

Ann Althouse said...
"What is the stunt?"

Putting it up for show and knowing that you will be required to take it back down.

Why did they think they would be required to take it down?

Political Junkie said...

Ducey is more of a traditional Republican and Trump and Trump fans generally disliked Ducey. He was finishing his final term (he won both of his races by double digits), and I believe he has no interest in a political future. Therefore, what was his motivation to pull a "stunt"?

Josephbleau said...

Hispanic immigrants are not majority Mexican anymore, but central Americans, they are subsistence farmers.

The way Mexico/Central/South America works is that the 1% are richer than hell and the others are dirt poor. The 1% build walls around their houses and have guards to keep the poor away, except for maids and such. Similar to California, Tech lords and grass mowers, nothing in between (I exaggerate somewhat).

The immigrants claim asylum, because they are in danger of being killed where they live. This is how they get into the US. Well, if I was in a place where the 1% rich were trying to kill my family I would get together and kill them, and have a US revolution, should not be too hard with some pitchforks. But I guess they can't do it and just wait to be killed by the rich.

Mark Twain said that the poor should rob their golden Churches, but that is short term unless the poor can work the gold mines, you need some smart people to do the brain work.



Josephbleau said...

When there are enough immigrants to flood Sedona, Arizona will worry about Illegal Innigrants. As long as they are confined to Phoenix, the elites will not care.

MadTownGuy said...

Ann Althouse said...
["What is the stunt?"]

"Putting it up for show and knowing that you will be required to take it back down."

They have made their ruling. Let them enforce it.

Aggie said...

"'"What is the stunt?"

Putting it up for show and knowing that you will be required to take it back down."


I thought the double-stacked containers were positioned so that they filled the gaps in the unfinished Trump Border Wall, said gaps that could have been quickly completed within existing budget and schedule, had Biden and his traveling circus not ordered an immediate halt to 'all construction activities' pretty much on Day 1. I distinctly remember reading this.

So: Wouldn't the real question be: 'Did they work? Did they cause a problem, or put a stop to one?' That would be the question to answer before cat-calling it out as a 'stunt', not so?

Rusty said...

Mark said...
"Count Rusty as approving of migrant rapes in Mexico, anything is ok as long as they don't make it Illinois."
Christ! You are thick. Merry Christmas, Mark. I hope you get everything you deserve.

Rusty said...

Not to mention racist as fuck.