Border Wall Construction to Pause by the end of Tuesday

| January 26, 2021

Border wall construction efforts will come to a pause at the end of Tuesday. So far, this order has been for US Customs and Border Protection constructions. The Department of Defense and US Army Corps of Engineers might issue similar orders.

From the Washington Examiner:

“The proclamation directs an immediate pause in wall construction projects to allow a close review of the legality of the funding and contracting methods used, and to determine the best way to redirect funds that were diverted by the prior Administration to fund wall construction,” the White House executive order stated.

More than 450 miles have been installed since former President Donald Trump took office in January 2017. Seven hundred and thirty-eight miles have been funded for $15.5 billion, including $10 billion diverted from the Treasury and Pentagon. The 450 miles installed to date are in place of old fencing and in new areas. Only approximately one-third of the 738 miles will go in previously unsecured areas of the border, though all the new barriers are far superior to the flimsy, short fences that they replaced.

Border wall projects have been undertaken in all four states that span the 2,000-mile border with Mexico. No projects were started on the Canadian border because illegal crossings are rare.

While Biden is stopping wall construction following an outcry from his party during the Trump administration, government-funded border wall construction is nothing new. Projects took off in the 1990s, when former President Bill Clinton approved a Border Patrol hiring surge and infrastructure package.

A decade later, during the George W. Bush administration, Congress approved the Secure Fence Act, which funded more than 650 miles of barrier. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi voted in support for the bill. Half of the 650 miles of barrier funded in the legislation were short fences just tall enough to block vehicles from driving across rural parts of the border, while the other half was tall enough to prevent people from illegally walking over. Border wall projects continued, albeit at far slower rates, under the Obama administration.

The Washington Examiner has the story here.

Category: "Teh Stoopid", "The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves", Biden

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KoB

But, but, but, walls and fences don’t work…unless of course you are protecting the elite from the great unwashed masses of taxpayers at a coronation. Or defending your freezerators full of premium ice creams…or…reasons.

UpNorth

Maybe the administration will “redirect” funds to the study of the reproduction rates of blonde haired Mongols? Or, the study of the habits of promiscuous penguins? Those studies would make as much sense as anything else this fuster-cluck of an administration has come up with in the last 6 days.

Sapper3307

Or the effects of cloning and releasing Dire wolfs in DC.

MustangCryppie

Hmmmm. Now THAT might be a very good investment!

Green Thumb

I wonder how much it would cost to remove it.

Maybe get those now unemployed Keystone pipeline union folks to shuttle down there and do it?

rgr769

Naw, just hire some of the tens of thousands of illegal aliens soon to be crossing the border. There will be many hundreds looking for day labor in every Walmart parking lot in the border states. Plus, there will be all those criminal aliens Gropey Joe just ordered released that were in ICE custody awaiting deportation. But then they will most likely just go back to their felony criminal occupations.

David

Billions of dollars in rioting, vandalism, and arson was OK during protests… but $5 billion for a wall to increase our security was too much.

Devtun
Green Thumb

Funny.

Not in a good way as many are seeking a better life.

But there is a right, legal and citizenship pathway to do this without politics being involved.

Curious how many moderates (both ways) will carry the torch on this (both ways).

Green Thumb

Back in the day, if you signed up, did your time honorably and moved out in a professional and correct way, you were good to go. You had to file and follow up on the paperwork, but it was approved for you and pathway was pending for your family.

Suck it up and fight for the USA, you should be a citizen. No issue.

Problem is the others want a shot (and that is cool), but do not wish to contribute.

Back in O’Bummer’s day (and others), a 1,000,000 million dollar donation would take care of that. But many do not have that. They offer instead their guts and integrity.

All for it.

Make it equal. 1 million or an enlistment. Bridge the gap of inequality once and for all for all to see. No more games or politics. And by the way, the options are not mutually exclusive. Just an observation.

Curious how you new neighbors will view you knowing the choice that you made….

Slow Joe

I strongly disagree.

I don’t want people joining the military just because it is the path to citizenship. There is nothing worst than an uncommitted Soldier. Well, perhaps a Democrat is worst.

If they want to serve, let them serve for the right reasons.

SFC D

I’ve had several Soldiers that were legal resident aliens, all of the good troops and all became citizens. Mostly Mexican, had a Canadian, a Peruvian, even 1 Chinese. It’s a good system when used correctly.

SFC D

You’ve always had to be a legal resident alien to enlist. Border jumpers need not apply.

Hondo

Personally, I have zero problem with a judge telling anyone, “Enforce the law as written; don’t “make it up as you go”. Don’t like the law, then get the law changed; don’t just ignore it.”

That’s precisely what happened here.

Oh, and for the record: I have zero issue with anyone who immigrates to the US legally. Two of my grandparents did exactly that.

However, I have a big problem with the Federal government rewarding unlawful conduct. And IMO, amnesty for unlawful immigrants does precisely that.

5JC

I’m confused as shit. Is there a travel ban or are they just letting people walk right in without customs, quarantine or nothing? Are they trying to stop human trafficking of children or do they just not care? Do we want to try to interdiction drugs or let them flood the streets?