The Biden administration is taking a surprising turn by embarking on the construction of a section of the border wall in southern Texas. A wall of 20 miles (32km) is set to rise in Starr County, right along the border with Mexico under this decision. This bold move is in response to the escalating levels of immigration in the region. Further, this decision has caught the attention of officials due to the high number of crossings.
This decision marks a significant departure from President Biden’s earlier stance, where he staunchly pledged not to add even an inch to the existing border wall.
From ‘not a serious solution’ to ‘cannot stop’
Adding border wall was a signature policy of his predecessor, Donald Trump, which had been fiercely opposed by Democrats. In fact, soon after taking office, President Biden’s administration had declared that constructing a border wall “is not a serious policy solution.”
However, in a shocking twist of events, President Biden revealed on Thursday, October 5, 2023, that the construction of the border wall could not be halted because the funding for it had already been allocated. When queried about the effectiveness of the wall, he simply replied with a resolute “no.”
In a statement to Associated News, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) echoed this unexpected move. They emphasized that they were using funds that had already been earmarked for a border barrier, citing Congress’s appropriation of fiscal year 2019 funds for the construction in the Rio Grande Valley. According to the CBP, it is their obligation to utilize these funds for their intended purpose.
This startling decision by President Biden and the CBP stands in stark contrast to a notice found in the US Federal Registry. The Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas asserted that there is an “acute and immediate need” to erect physical barriers and roads along the border areas to prevent unlawful entries into the United States.
This controversial move has not gone unnoticed on the international stage. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador voiced his criticism, asserting that building a wall goes against what President Biden had previously advocated. He attributed the decision to strong pressure from extreme right-wing political groups in the United States.
Source: Openstreetmap.org/BBC
Reason behind this U-turn of Biden
The surge in illegal border crossings has put President Biden in a vulnerable position. This unexpected turn of events challenges his earlier promises and highlights the complex nature of addressing immigration issues.
Government data reveals that more than 245,000 crossings have occurred this year in the Rio Grande Valley area alone, with September anticipated to set a record high. The influx is straining several US cities, prompting New York City Mayor Eric Adams to predict a staggering cost of $12 billion over the next three years for housing the over 100,000 new arrivals since last year. In an effort to discourage migrants from embarking on their journey, Mayor Adams is traveling to Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador, underscoring the urgency of the situation: “We are at capacity,” he declared.
This controversial move to construct the border wall has necessitated the waiver of dozens of federal laws, including significant ones like the Clean Air Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Environmentalists are livid over this decision, as they argue that these structures will slice through the habitats of endangered plants and animals.
Expressing dismay, Laiken Jordahl, a conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, lamented, “It’s disheartening to see President Biden stoop to this level. This decision is even casting aside our nation’s bedrock environmental laws to build ineffective wildlife-killing border walls.”
According to a proposal by US Customs and Border Protection, the barriers will comprise substantial bollards firmly set in a concrete base, alongside gates, cameras, and CCTV equipment. Homeland Security disclosed that it would utilize funding secured during Donald Trump’s presidency to finance this new section.
Trump questions Biden: Will there be an apology?
Remarkably, this marks the first instance of the Biden administration leveraging its powers to greenlight the construction of new walls. It was an action that was frequently undertaken during Mr. Trump’s tenure. During that time, the US government erected approximately 50 miles of new wall and the upgrading of 400 miles of existing barriers.
In a Thursday online post, former President Trump took to questioning whether the current president would “apologize to me and America for taking so long to get moving.” He went on to express his amusement, stating, “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.”
This online exchange highlights the escalating tension surrounding President Biden’s immigration policies, particularly in the face of a recent surge in migrants crossing into the US. The latest data reveals that in August, US Border Patrol apprehended a significant 181,059 individuals along the southern border, compared to 132,648 in July. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador added to the mounting concern, revealing that a staggering 10,000 people arrived at the border daily during the previous week alone.
