San Diego sues federal government over razor wire border barrier on city-owned property

The city of San Diego sued several federal agencies Monday seeking to halt construction of razor wire fencing along city-owned property near the U.S.-Mexico border, arguing that federal personnel, including U.S. Marines, trespassed on the land and caused irreparable environmental damage to sensitive habitat that’s protected by a longstanding conservation agreement between the city, state and federal government.

“The City of San Diego will not allow federal agencies to disregard the law and damage City property,” San Diego City Attorney Heather Ferbert said in a statement Tuesday. “We are taking decisive action to protect sensitive habitats, uphold environmental commitments, and ensure that the rights and resources of our community are respected.”

According to the lawsuit, the land in question is located in the undeveloped Marron Valley area just southeast of the federally managed Otay Mountain Wilderness and is protected by a conservation agreement signed in 1997 by the city, California’s fish and wildlife agency and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The lawsuit asserts that last month, city personnel discovered about a dozen Marines on the property constructing “illegal and unauthorized” concertina wire fencing. The suit contends that the construction of the fencing barrier has caused property damage and “adver...