Cocopah Tribe calls out Arizona for building shipping container wall against its wishes

(KYMA, KECY/ AP News) - The Cocopah Indian Tribe said Friday that the state of Arizona acted against its wishes by stacking shipping containers on its land to prevent illegal border crossings.

The tribe determined that the state put 42 double-stacked containers on its land near Yuma, said Michael Fila from its office of emergency management.

The tribe wrote state officials Tuesday to inform them of their findings and concerns. Fila said the containers block half of a two-lane road, closing a “vital evacuation route.”

The containers pose other safety concerns, including if the containers fall, Fila wrote. Two containers toppled during construction last month for reasons that are unclear.

The tribe’s findings are a potential setback to Gov. Doug Ducey, who said last week that the barriers were “a major step forward to secure our border.” Despite his claims, the barriers have so far failed to make a meaningful dent in illegal crossings in an area where hundreds have been entering the country daily.