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

Alex Riggins, The San Diego Union-Tribune on Jan 6, 2026

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SAN DIEGO — 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, located in the undeveloped Marron Valley area east of Otay Mesa and south of Dulzura, 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 12 U.S. Marines on the property constructing “illegal and unauthorized” razor wire fencing. The suit contends that the construction of the fencing has caused property damage and “adverse environmental impacts,” including damage to plants, vernal pools and wildlife habitats for endangered and protected species.

“At no time did defendants seek or obtain the city’s consent to build the border barrier at issue,” the lawsuit alleges, claiming that the land is protected by the nearly 30-year-old pact known as the Cornerstone Lands Conservation Bank Agreement. That agreement is included as an exhibit in the lawsuit.

Among the defendants named in the suit are the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the leaders of each of those agencies. None of those agencies immediately responded Tuesday to requests seeking comment.

The city’s suit alleges seven causes of action against the defendants, including trespass, public nuisance and several violations of the Administrative Procedures Act. It seeks an injunction “ordering all Defendants to cease and desist from any further construction of fencing, walls, surveillance equipment, or other similar activities on city property in Marron Valley.”

It also seeks a legal declaration of the city’s ownership rights of the land and a declaration that the defendant’s actions in constructing the border barrier on the land are unconstitutional.

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