Biden Reverses Course And Plans New Border Wall Construction—Trump Demands Apology

Topline

Former President Donald Trump demanded an apology from President Joe Biden on Thursday after the Biden Administration announced plans to resume construction of the border wall championed by Trump—marking a reversal from Biden’s previous criticism of the project.

Migrants line up along the U.S. Mexico border fence to apply for asylum in the United States on … [+] December 21, 2022 in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

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Key Facts

Trump questioned whether Biden will “apologize to me and America for taking so long to get moving” on constructing the border wall, he wrote on Truth Social on Thursday, using his preferred nickname “Crooked Joe Biden” to refer to the president and and accusing him of breaking “every environmental law in the book to prove that [Trump] was right.”

The Biden Administration will build physical barriers in Starr County, Texas, along the U.S.-Mexico border using funds appropriated for the project in 2019, the Department of Homeland Security said in a notice posted Wednesday to the Federal Registry.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said there is “an acute and immediate need” for the barriers “to prevent unlawful entries into the United States,” adding that the agency is required to use the 2019 funds “for their appropriated purpose.”

DHS will waive 26 federal laws to expedite the project, including provisions of the National Environmental Policy and Endangered Species Acts—drawing criticism from environmental groups like the Center for Biological Diversity.

The move backtracks on Biden’s previous opposition to the border wall—he told NPR while running for president in 2020 “there will not be another foot of wall constructed on my administration” and he issued a proclamation upon taking office to end construction, stating “building a massive wall that spans the entire southern border is not a serious policy solution.”

Biden said Thursday he still believes the border wall is ineffective, but said DHS had no choice but to use the funding for new construction, because the money was already appropriated.

What We Don’t Know

It’s unclear how extensive the project will be. Wednesday’s announcement did not provide mileage details, but a CBP map of the project published in June laid out plans to build 20 miles of additional barriers made of steel bollard panels.

Chief Critic

“A border wall is a 14th century solution to a 21st century problem. It will not bolster border security in Starr County,” Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) said in a statement. “I continue to stand against the wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars on an ineffective border wall.”

Big Number

450. That’s the number of miles of border wall that were constructed under Trump, who disputed the figure on Thursday, claiming his administration built 560 miles of wall.

Key Background

DHS announced the project against intensifying Republican criticism of Biden’s border policies and demands from some GOP members to resume construction of the wall. Customs and Border Protection has been dealing with a surge of migrant crossings, including more than 232,000 detentions or arrests in August, the most since last December, according to CBP data. A total of 245,000 illegal crossings have been recorded so far this year in the Rio Grande Valley. Officials recently told CNN they expect crossings to remain high while Mexican authorities ramp up enforcement. The influx coincides with the end of a pandemic-era policy known as Title 42 in May that allowed border agents to turn migrants away without allowing them to seek asylum. Parts of the U.S.-Mexico border are already lined with barriers, but constructing a wall across the entire border was a key 2016 campaign promise for Trump, who often pledged to make Mexico pay for the project. The Trump Administration built some new fencing and replaced older barriers, but struggled with high costs, limited funding and court battles over land use.

Tangent

Biden ended a national emergency declaration that facilitated construction of the border wall under Trump in February 2021 and announced in April that year he would return funds appropriated for the project to the Pentagon.