Arizona to Pay $2.1 Million to Biden Admin Over Makeshift Border Wall

Arizona has agreed to pay the Biden administration $2.1 million as part of a settlement for a lawsuit the Department of Justice had filed against the state over a makeshift wall made of shipping containers at the Arizona–Mexico border.

The state was given a bill of $2.1 million on Aug. 22 by the U.S. Forest Service, Judy Kioski, a spokeswoman for Arizona's Division of Emergency Management said, the Arizona Republic reported on Aug. 30.

The funds would by used by the Forest Service, which indicated that addressing the damage done to federal and tribal territories by the containers would necessitate millions of dollars in funds.

Once Arizona pays the bill, the case will be dismissed, pending a final judicial order.

Unless dismissed ahead of time, the lawsuit is set to continue until Sept. 26. In the event it's not dismissed, a joint progress report will be required from both parties.

Under former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, storage containers were positioned at gaps in the wall that had been built by the Trump administration, to mitigate illegal border crossings.