The unfinished U.S.-Mexico border wall in Texas, April 14, 2021.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced that it will cancel work on the construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall that was initially funded by the military.
Former President Trump used his emergency executive powers to order billions of dollars in military defense funds for the construction of the border wall.
In a statement, Pentagon spokesman Jamal Brown said, “The Department of Defense is moving to cancel all military-funded border wall construction projects, and the funds were intended for other military missions and uses, such as schools for military children, overseas military construction projects in partner countries, and National Guard and Reserve equipment. “
The returned funds will now be used for deferred military construction projects, Brown said.
“The Department of Defense has begun taking all necessary actions to cancel the border wall project and coordinate with interagency partners,” he said, adding, “Today’s action reflects this administration’s continued commitment to defending our nation, and the service members and their families who support us. “
The Department of Homeland Security also announced Friday (April 30) that it will take steps to address “the real dangers posed by the construction of the border wall under the previous administration.
The decision is expected to draw criticism from Republicans.
Earlier, Republican members of Congress accused Biden of illegally halting a congressionally approved border wall project, and the Congressional Government Accountability Office is investigating whether the Biden administration acted illegally.
Sen. Jim Risch (R-Okla.) described the initiative as a threat to national security.
“Having secure, clear borders is very important to our national security and public defense efforts. This is an unwise decision at best.” He wrote on Twitter.
Illegal immigration has become an issue for Biden as his administration faces a surge of illegal immigrants and unaccompanied children at the southern border. After taking office in January, Biden signed an executive order repealing several of Trump’s immigration policies, including the “stay in Mexico” policy.
Even some Democrats, including Sen. Mark Kelly (D-N.Y.), are unhappy with the message President Biden has released. He said the president has so far failed to come up with a comprehensive immigration plan.
“While I share President Biden’s sense of urgency to fix our broken immigration system, I heard no plan tonight to address the urgent crisis at the border,” Mark Kelly said after Biden’s speech to Congress Wednesday night.
“I will continue to hold the administration accountable for providing the resources and personnel necessary for a humane and orderly process.” He said.
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