President Joe Biden's administration said on Thursday it will add sections to a border wall to stave off record migrant crossings from Mexico, carrying forward a signature policy of former President Donald Trump.

President Joe Biden's administration said on Thursday it will add sections to a border wall to stave off record migrant crossings from Mexico, carrying forward a signature policy of former President Donald Trump.

Trump is the frontrunner for the Republican Party nomination to challenge Biden, a Democrat, in the 2024 presidential race. Trump made building border barriers a central tenet of his first campaign for president with the rally chant, "Build That Wall."

One of Biden's first actions after taking office in January 2021 was to issue a proclamation pledging that "no more American taxpayer dollars be diverted to construct a border wall" as well as a review of all resources that had already been committed.

The administration said Thursday's action did not deviate from Biden's proclamation because money that was allocated during Trump's term in 2019 had to be spent now.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement that there was "no new Administration policy with respect to border walls. From day one, this Administration has made clear that a border wall is not the answer."

Mayorkas said the construction project was appropriated during the prior administration and the law requires the government to use the funds, with an announcement made earlier in the year. "We have repeatedly asked Congress to rescind this money but it has not done so and we are compelled to follow the law," he said.

  • Cheems@lemmy.world
    413·
    1 year ago

    "because money that was allocated during Trump's term in 2019 had to be spent now."

    "the law requires the government to use the funds"

    "We have repeatedly asked Congress to rescind this money but it has not done so and we are compelled to follow the law,"

    You had them highlighted but I'm putting them here again Incase someone glosses over it. I saw this story on Instagram and the comments section was, as you could guess, woefully ignorant and incredibly toxic.

    • SheeEttin@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      I wonder how specific the budget item was. I would have tried to see if they could rebuild existing wall, or maybe the parts around existing border checkpoints.

    • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
      35·
      1 year ago

      What I'm seeing here is that Democrats could have rescinded the funds when they had a majority, but didn't feel like it.

      • Cheems@lemmy.world
        43·
        1 year ago

        Contracts were already signed. I'm sure it was much more complicated than your explanation of essentially, "meh"

        • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
          24·
          1 year ago

          Look at those goalposts move.

          If he tried to get congress to do something, it's because congress could have done something.

          I get that you want to be able to order everyone who doesn't worship every last failure and capitulation of Democrats to shut up and be happy, but we're not all centrists who love it when the party we voted for acts like the party we voted against.

          • Cheems@lemmy.world
            41·
            1 year ago

            Woah you're assuming a lot there. Sorry you're having a bad day, get some rest and drink some water.

            • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.worldEnglish
              13·
              1 year ago

              You ignored this in favor of condescension:

              If he tried to get congress to do something, it’s because congress could have done something.

              But hey, condescension is all centrists do when a progressive brings up something they can't address.

              Anyway, congratulations on all the dead ocelots.