In light of increasing illegal immigration, the Biden administration has declared an “acute and immediate need” to construct a border wall in Texas and seek exemptions from federal laws to facilitate the build.
Shortly after taking office in 2021, President Biden halted the border wall construction, keeping his campaign promise that no more wall would be built during his presidency.
BIDEN (2020): "There will not be another foot of wall constructed in my administration!"
Today, Biden's DHS secretary declared an "immediate need" to build 20+ miles of border wall in Texas. pic.twitter.com/QvB1aC30C1
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 4, 2023
As reported by Fox News, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published an announcement in the US Federal Register regarding construction in Starr County within the Rio Grande Valley Sector. The White House stated that this region experiences “high illegal entry.”
In response to over 245,000 encounters with undocumented immigrants in that region during this fiscal year, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas declared that he is utilizing his congressional authority to waive 26 federal laws. These include the Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act.
Mayorkas stated, “There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unlawful entries into the United States in the project areas pursuant to sections 102(a) and 102(b) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.”
As reported by Fox News, the waiver applies to barrier projects that were announced in June and will encompass approximately 17 miles in Starr County.
Reacting to the announcement, former president and current leading GOP candidate for the 2024 nomination, Donald Trump, remarked to Fox News, “Biden sees our country is being invaded. What is he going to do about the 15 million people from prisons, from mental institutions, insane asylums, and terrorists that have already come into our country?”
The DHS announcement follows a surge in illegal immigration at the southern border, accompanied by substantial political pressure from both Republicans and Democrats to address the issue. Just last week, it was disclosed that September witnessed more than 260,000 encounters with illegal immigrants, marking the highest monthly total on record.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), who had previously expressed support for leniency towards illegal immigration, stated on Sunday, “Well, we want them to have a limit on who can come across the border. It is too open right now. People coming from all over the world are finding their way through simply saying they need asylum.”
Based on CBP data, the fiscal year 2023 has witnessed over 2.2 million illegal immigrants entering the country through the border. These record-breaking figures have resulted from the Biden administration’s reversal of immigration policies implemented during the Trump era. These actions include the cessation of border wall construction, the sale of border wall materials, and legal action against Texas for installing border barriers.
