Overview
- The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court, names the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the leaders of those agencies.
- City officials say they found about a dozen U.S. Marines in December installing fencing on city-owned Marron Valley property east of Otay Mesa and south of Dulzura without permission.
- The filing alleges trespass and environmental harm, including damage to plants, vernal pools, and habitat for endangered and protected species, and says the work impeded the city’s access to manage the land.
- The city seeks an injunction to halt further construction or entry, a declaration affirming its ownership rights, and a ruling that the federal actions were unconstitutional, alongside seven stated causes of action including public nuisance and Administrative Procedure Act violations.
- San Diego City Attorney Heather Ferbert said the city is acting to protect sensitive habitats, while the named federal agencies had not provided comment at the time of publication.