Biden Expanding Trump's U.S.-Mexico Border Wall

What's the story?

• The Biden administration has announced a plan to expand construction on the border wall launched by former President Donald Trump. 
• The 20-mile wall will be constructed in the Rio Grande Valley in Starr County, west of the city of McAllen. The U.S. Border Patrol has encountered over 245,000 migrants in the region during the 2023 fiscal year. 
• The barriers will consist of large bollards embedded in a concrete base, gates, cameras, and CCTV equipment.
• The Department of Homeland Security said "it is necessary to waive certain laws, regulations, and other legal requirements" to build the wall. The regulations being waived fall under the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Clean Air Act.

A legal requirement

• Nearly $200 million out of the $1.375 billion that Congress designated for barriers in the Rio Grande Valley was still available by the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. By law, the money had to be used by that date.
• Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas confirmed that construction would be built with funds already appropriated by Congress in 2019. Mayorkas said:

"I want to address today's reporting relating to a border wall and be absolutely clear: There is no new administration policy with respect to the border wall. Allow me to repeat that: There is no new administration policy with respect to the border wall. We have repeatedly asked Congress to rescind this money, but it has not done so, and we are compelled to follow the law."

• In 2020, Biden promised he would not build another foot of wall if elected. He has previously stated that he doesn't think the border wall is effective, and on his first day in office, he halted construction on the wall. Now, Biden said he has no choice:

"I'll answer one question on the border wall: The border wall – the money was appropriated for the border wall. I tried to get them to reappropriate it, to redirect that money. They didn't, they wouldn't. And in the meantime, there's nothing under the law other than they have to use the money for what it was appropriated. I can't stop that."

A divisive topic

• Biden has come under fire from both Democrats and Republicans due to his border policies and the growing influx of migrants in Democrat-led cities. Muzaffar Chishti, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, said:

"Given the high flow of people, and the political pressure from the right and left, Biden had to be more assertive on enforcement. Even his own party has been asking for strong measures."

• Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador criticized the move:

"So, they are acting very irresponsibly, and they are putting very hard pressure on the president, who will always count on our support. But that authorization for the construction of the wall is a setback. Because that doesn't solve the problem, that doesn't solve the problem. The causes must be addressed."

• Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas), who supports the wall, said:

"This is a necessary step to help Texas' overwhelmed border communities deal with this current surge of migrants. I have long said that targeted physical barriers have a role to play in securing our border at high traffic areas but this is only a partial solution."

• Trump posted, asking if Biden would "apologize to me and America for taking so long to get moving." He continued:

"So interesting to watch Crooked Joe Biden break every environmental law in the book to prove that I was right. I will await his apology."

Do you support the border wall?

-Emma Kansiz

(Photo Credit: France 24)