1 of 3 The American government is trying to stop illegal immigrants from crossing the border Photo: EPA The American government is trying to stop illegal immigrants from crossing the border Photo: EPA
The increasing flow of immigrants across the border between Mexico and the United States in recent months prompted President Joe Biden to make good on one of his predecessor Donald Trump’s big promises: expanding the border wall between the two countries.
The White House just announced that it will build a 20mile stretch of metal fencing in South Texas to prevent crossings of the Rio Bravo (called the Rio Grande in the United States).
Building a border wall was one of Trump’s signature actions as president, bitterly opposed by Democrats.
In 2020, Biden promised not to build another meter of wall if elected.
His government issued a statement after taking power that said building a wall along the southern border was “not a serious political solution.”
But on Wednesday evening, Customs and Border Protection sources defended the new wall expansion, arguing that it was using money already earmarked for building a border barrier.
“Congress appropriated fiscal year 2019 appropriations for the construction of border barriers in the Rio Grande Valley, and DHS (Department of Homeland Security) must use these funds for their intended purpose,” they told the AP.
The measure has drawn criticism, including from environmentalists who claim the wall will thwart habitats of plants and animals at risk of extinction.
“It is disheartening to see President Biden stoop to this level, overriding our nation’s basic environmental laws to build ineffective border walls that kill wildlife,” said Laiken Jordahl, a conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity.
And building the wall means dozens of federal laws will not be enforced, including the Clean Air Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act.
In the same area of the Rio Grande Valley, the Texas state government installed spiked buoys that a federal judge ordered removed last month.
2 out of 3 authorities recorded 245,000 crossings in the Rio Grande Valley alone Photo: Portal In the Rio Grande Valley alone, the authorities recorded 245,000 crossings Photo: Portal
The growing number of undocumented people crossing the border has brought the issue to the forefront of debate in Washington.
In the Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas alone, immigration authorities have registered 245,000 border crossings this year. And a new record is set to be achieved in September.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas spoke of the “acute and immediate need” to build the new section of the wall and prevent the entry of illegal immigrants.
The new wall will consist of large posts embedded in a concrete base, as well as gates, cameras and video surveillance equipment.
DHS said it would use funds raised during Donald Trump’s presidency to build the new section.
The issue of immigration is on the agenda of a meeting this Thursday (October 5) between American Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Mexican President Andrés Manuel LópezObrador in Mexico City.
3 of 3 Thousands of immigrants arrived at the border seeking asylum in the United States Photo: Portal Thousands of immigrants arrived at the border seeking asylum in the United States Photo: Portal
“14th century solution”
This is the first time the Biden administration has used its authority to authorize the construction of new sections of the border wall, something Trump has promoted throughout his term in office (20172021).
The Republican agreed to the construction of around 80 km of new fences and the renewal of almost 650 km of existing barriers.
After announcing the new expansion in South Texas, Trump blamed Biden for causing the immigration crisis by rolling back the strict border policies he put in place during his time in office.
“He has to do everything [outras] Things we did,” he told Fox News.
The Mexican president condemned the measure. “This approval for the construction of the wall is a step backwards. Because it doesn’t solve the problem. We have to address the causes,” he said this Thursday.
Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar of a Texas border district said on social media that “a border wall is a 14th century solution to a 21st century problem.”
“I continue to refuse to waste taxpayer dollars on an ineffective border wall,” he added.
In addition to criticizing possible environmental damage, other analysts recalled Trump’s old promise: “Well, Mexico didn’t pay for the wall, but Biden did,” tweeted Matt Stoller, research director at the American Economic Liberties Project. Economic Freedoms).
Several American cities have warned that they face serious problems due to the influx of migrants.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has predicted that housing costs for the more than 100,000 new arrivals since last year will rise to $12 billion in the next three years.
Adams will travel to Mexico, Colombia and Ecuador this week to discourage migrants from arriving there. “We are at the limit of our capacity,” he said on Tuesday (October 3rd).