DIY at the border

THE FEDS took on the role of neighborhood association last week and sued the state of Arizona for what amounts to tacky lawn ornaments.

Republican Gov. Doug Ducey had filled gaps in the state’s unfinished sections of border wall with rows of colorful double-stacked shipping crates, meant as temporary barriers. The Justice Department filed suit in U.S. District Court to have the crates removed, its complaint arguing the crates amounted to trespassing on federal lands.

(Before we go any further, let’s pause to celebrate the fact that the federal government still must go through the legal system as any private citizen would be required to do. Warts and all. God Bless America.)

The term-limited Governor Ducey, who’ll hand the keys to the state capitol over to Democrat Katie Hobbs next month, has been frustrated by the government’s failure to follow through on its promise to fill the holes in the permanent wall. He’d simply appreciate a timeline. Wouldn’t we all?

Not that it really matters. The new “homeowner,” Governor-elect Hobbs, doesn’t like lawn ornaments, having been opposed to a border wall at all.

Justice Department officials should be able to sympathize with Arizona’s situation. The U.S. southern border continues to see record flows of immigrants. For the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, U.S. border officials stopped 2.38 million illegal border crossings. That’s up 37 percent from the previous year.

The AP reports the annual total surpassed 2 million for the first time in August and is more than twice the highest level during Trump’s presidency, recorded in 2019. That’s what happens when a new administration advertises its open-border policies.

Meanwhile, Americans await direction from D.C. on how to address this growing problem. Ignoring it hasn’t been very effective, actually quite the opposite. And exasperated border governors like Mr. Ducey have felt compelled to resort to DIY tricks such as those big tacky lawn ornaments.