San Diego sues federal government over razor wire fencing on city land
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The city of San Diego has sued the federal government to halt construction of a barbed wire fence on city-owned land near the U.S.-Mexico border, accusing federal agencies of trespassing and environmental damage.
The city filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California on Monday. The complaint said the defendants include Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
The city accused the federal government of acting without legal authority when they entered city property in Marron Valley and began installing barbed wire fences.
“The City of San Diego will not allow federal agencies to ignore the law and damage City property,” City Attorney Heather Ferbert said in a press release. He said the lawsuit aims to protect sensitive habitats and ensure environmental commitments are met.
NEWSOM SUED THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER THE ORDER TO DEPLOY THE CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD TO OREGON.
San Diego is suing the federal government to stop construction of a barbed wire fence on city land in Marron Valley. (Justin Hamel/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)
According to the lawsuit, federal personnel, including U.S. Marines, accessed the land without the city’s permission and damaged environmentally sensitive areas protected under longstanding conservation agreements.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth were among the federal officials named in San Diego’s lawsuit. (Reuters/Brian Snyder; AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
San Diego argues that the fences impede the city’s ability to manage and evaluate its own property and could jeopardize compliance with environmental obligations.
An American flag is visible through barbed wire fencing surrounding the CoreCivic Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego, California, on October 4, 2025. (Kevin Carter/Getty Images)
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The lawsuit also accuses the federal government of trespassing and beginning construction without proper authorization or environmental review and of unconstitutionally seizing the land in violation of the Fifth Amendment.
Fox News Digital has reached out to DHS and the Pentagon for comment.
