Former Homeland Security counsel thinks Arizona Gov. Ducey’s border barrier is ‘a stupid idea’

PHOENIX — A former Department of Homeland Security counsel under Barack Obama isn’t fond of Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s recent barrier additions at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Andy Gordon told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Gaydos and Chad on Thursday that he thinks Ducey’s wall of shipping containers to fill gaps near Yuma is “a stupid idea.”

“You know, this is just a terrible way of doing it, assuming you need to be doing it at all,” Gordon said.

The nearly two-tenths of a mile of gaps filled since the state began construction Aug. 12 are double stacked containers that are welded shut and topped with 4 feet of razor wire.

Each stack is 22 feet tall and weighs 8,800 pounds.

Gordon’s main contention with the shipping containers is that they don’t allow for Border Patrol to monitor activity on both sides of the wall simultaneously.

“That’s why you have the barriers that look like fence,” Gordon said. “Now the shipping containers, obviously you can’t do that. So you have no idea what the heck is happening on the other side.”

Gordon’s other argument is that the barrier was placed in an area where there wasn’t high migrant traffic.

He said one of his main responsibilities while with DHS was overseeing completion of barriers along the border, so he’s familiar with the area.

“It’s right on the Colorado River,” Gordon said. “It’s not an easy place for people to cross, which is probably why that gap is there to begin with. So it’s not a big crossing spot.”

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