OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
On his first day in the Oval Office, President Joe Biden signed more than a dozen executive actions, one of which ordered a halt to all wall construction along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Even though former President Donald Trump was utilizing funds that Congress authorized for the project, Biden unilaterally ordered construction halted, in addition to reversing a host of other immigration and border security policies enacted by his predecessor.
We all know what happened next: Well over one million migrant encounters by U.S. Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection, and other DHS personnel over the next several months, reaching record highs for many of those months.
As USA Features News reported in July:
The Department of Homeland Security opted to cancel the construction of 31 additional miles of border wall in Texas this week even as migrants by the hundreds of thousands are creating chaotic conditions for Border Patrol and immigration authorities, as well as state law enforcement agencies.
Construction had yet to begin on the two segments and the U.S. government had not het acquired new land that would have been needed in order to build them, the department said…
Now, as the migrant crisis is enduring, even if it’s not being covered by the major media any longer, it looks like the president has changed his mind somewhat: DHS is planning to order the construction of small sections of the wall in order to plug gaps left after Biden’s January order to halt all wall-building, as Newsmax reports:
Border security funding allocated by Congress will be used to close small gaps in the wall and pay for environmental and clean-up projects in areas affected by barrier construction during the Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced…
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the closing of the gaps left open when construction was halted by the incoming Biden administration in January are needed to mitigate safety concerns.
Projects also include putting in drainage to prevent flooding, mitigating soil erosion, finishing roads used by Border Patrol agents, demobilizing construction and equipment storage sites, and getting rid of unused materials.
The projects are slated to begin early next year but are part of an overall effort by the Biden White House to wrap up the wall project in its entirety after becoming one of the country’s most expensive infrastructure projects in recent history.
“The work will be done in the US Border Patrol’s San Diego, El Centro, Yuma, Tucson, El Paso, and Del Rio sectors. The work the administration will undertake is focused on addressing life, safety, environmental, and remediation requirements,” CNN reported, citing DHS officials.
DHS noted in a statement: “The type of work that is required will vary by Sector and will be executed with available funding in priority locations identified by CBP. The Administration continues to call on Congress to cancel remaining border wall funding and instead fund smarter border security measures that are proven to be more effective at improving safety and security at the border.”
CNN reported further that DHS is using funds Congress already appropriated to address alleged “environmental issues” that stemmed from the border wall project — though the network did not elaborate.
The Washington Free Beacon noted further that the gapped sections have seen some of the highest illegal crossings by migrants (go figure). The outlet also noted that DHS is planning to add “missing gates” while connecting “power to gates that are already hung but are currently inoperable.”
“Border Patrol agents use the so-called emergency rescue gates to save migrants stranded in irrigation canals,” the Free Beacon added.
