Arizona to Auction Containers Used for Former Governor Ducey's Makeshift Border Wall

Five 40-foot containers are up for grabs to the public, bids starting at $2,000. The Arizona Department of Administration officials announced on Thursday the state will start auctioning shipping containers left behind by former Governor Doug Ducey's makeshift border wall. It starts Oct.16.

At the end of his term, Gov. Ducey double stacked dozens of empty shipping containers with razor wire near the Mexico border in Yuma and Cochise counties to try and keep migrants out. The total cost of the project was about nearly $200 million. According to an article by Nogales International, The Department of Emergency and Military Affairs reported that merely the shipping containers cost the state 13.8 million. Taxpayers money was used like this: $100 million to have them placed along the border and around $76 million to remove them after the federal government sued the state for not having permission to create its own border barrier on federal land. Arizona also had to pay the U.S. Forest Service $2.1 million in damages.

According to the Arizona Republic, the state sold 195 containers over the summer to government entities and nonprofits, raising about $300,000. Containers are still available for direct purchase by government and non-profit organizations.

Now it's open to the public, Each bidding period will be open for two weeks. The winning bidder will have five days to finalize their payment and schedule a pickup within 30 days of purchase. Transportation of the containers is the buyer's responsibility and not included in the bid. They will need to pick them up and transport them from their current location on Tucson state prison complex land near Wilmot and Old Vail roads. Registration is free and accounts will be activated 7 calendar days after creation, at which time bidders can start bidding in any state auction.

First public auction will open at 10 a.m. on October 16, 2023 and close at 7 p.m. on October 30, 2023.