“Not another foot. ”
These are the words Joe Biden used during his 2020 presidential campaign to describe the U.S. – Mexico border-wall construction. However, on Thursday, the Biden administration approved the construction of a section in Yuma, Arizona.
This plan involves filling in four large gaps in a wall that continue to make Yuma one of the most popular areas for illegal immigration crossings.
Alejandro Mayorkas (Secretary of Homeland Security) approved the plan. Trump’s administration initiated the plan to “deploy modern, effective border measures” and improve security at the Southwest Border.
The Defense Department originally planned to finance it. However, the Homeland Security budget for 2020 will fund the project.
The Biden administration has not resolved Yuma’s immigration problem. Between January and June of this year, more than 160,000 migrants were stopped by border patrol agents in this area.
This number is nearly quadruple the last year’s migrant stop. Yuma continues to be Arizona’s most populated migrant sector.
Rio Grande Valley and Del Rio in South Texas were the only areas that saw more traffic at the U.S.-Mexico borders.
Trump had parts of the border wall reinforced in Yuma by the former president. In 2020, a plaque was placed at Yuma’s border to recognize Trump’s contributions to maintaining the wall’s security.
Sen. Mark Kelly (D–AZ) asked that the president secure the border wall. Biden has now made the decision.
Biden used Trump’s policies to contrast with his own, so it is not surprising that the Biden administration quietly supports the wall.
Biden has been critical of Trump’s immigration policies and the border wall in the past. They were called “racist” or “xenophobic by Biden. ”
Biden stated in an opinion piece published by Miami Herald that the slogan “Build the Wall”, is not true and that it would not stop illegal narcotics flow or human trafficking. These drugs are mostly brought into the country via legal ports of entry.
He stated, “It won’t stop the number of undocumented persons, most of which have overstayed legal visas. ”
Biden told Lulu Garcia-Navarro (NPR) that there would be no further wall built against his administration.
“I will ensure we have border security but it will be based on making sure that we use high-tech capabilities to deal with it”.
After assuming office, Biden also stopped any new construction of a wall at the border. Biden has asked Congress for an end to funding the construction of a border wall.
He has since increased border security measures. Biden cannot legally refuse to build the wall.
Republicans have sued Biden repeatedly for stopping the construction of the border wall.
“The refusal of the Biden administration to use funds already reserved by Congress for construction of the border wall was both illegal and unconstitutional”. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stated that it was also wrong.
Biden declared in January that he would stop construction of approximately 86 miles along the Rio Grande wall border wall citing an environment review.
