Earlier this month, the Center for Biological Diversity filed to join a suit against Gov. Doug Ducey over his plan to deploy shipping containers to fill gaps in the Mexico border wall near Yuma.
An attorney for the governor is asking a U.S. District Court judge to block the center from intervening.
The environmental group is arguing that Ducey is installing those containers on federal land in violation of laws protecting migration patterns of wildlife.
However, Ducey’s attorney Brett Johnson argues the only issue before the court is whether the land is controlled by the U.S government.
To that, the governor filed suit saying the 60-foot wide corridor is not owned by the federal government, or if it is, then the state has joint jurisdiction.
An attorney for the Center of Biological Diversity also contends Ducey’s claim of state ownership is an attempt to circumvent federal environmental review. No date is set for the hearing.
