Arizona’s defunct border wall leaves trail of runaway costs, error-filled invoices

Just a few years ago, Arizona’s Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA) was counted among the state’s smaller agencies, known for preparing Arizonans for summer monsoons. That changed in 2021, when then-Gov. Doug Ducey declared a state of emergency over immigration and put DEMA in charge of what was to become a half a billion dollars to secure the state’s border with Mexico.