Southern Border: Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Authorizes Wall Projects After Republicans Urge President Joe Biden To Crackdown on Smuggling
(Photo : Drew Angerer/ Getty Images)
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas approves projects that will build walls and replace gates to block the gaps at the southern border as Republican lawmakers urge President Joe Biden to act to halt smuggling activities in the area.

Even as the administration continues to push Congress to halt all financing for the Trump-era project, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has approved projects throughout the southern border to patch breaches in the border wall and replace gates.

The projects will be carried out in California, Arizona, and Texas, and will involve work in San Diego, El Centro, Yuma, El Paso, and the Rio Grande Valley. They will be supported by current DHS funding from Congress.

Mayorkas Approves Improving Souther Border Walls, Gates

They include installing railroad gates to protect agents and migrants from train operations, as well as gates beneath bridges to control dangerous river flows. Projects also include the repair of a barrier in California that was not adequately maintained to withstand corrosion from surrounding ocean waves and now poses safety threats to Border Patrol Agents, community residents, and migrants.

Meanwhile, in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the biggest locations for illegal immigration, Customs and Border Protection will finish 17 gates and work on other projects that make it difficult for Border Patrol Agents to enter particular areas and first responders to respond to situations.

As part of its attempt to combat illegal migration and drug trafficking, the Trump administration constructed nearly 450 miles of border wall. The Biden administration suspended construction of the wall soon after taking office, citing its ineffectiveness. Democrats and left-wing groups condemned the wall as xenophobic and immoral, according to Fox News.

Read Also: China Admits Conducting Necessary Readiness Patrol In Response To US-Taiwan 'Collusion'

President Joe Biden's Inaction on Border Issues

President Joe Biden's administration has made it clear that it has no intention of dealing with the historic catastrophe at our southern border in the 497 days since he took office. It was ludicrous for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to declare before Congress that "we do have operational control of our southwest border." It was an insult to the courageous men and women serving on the border, as well as to the states and border towns who have been left to deal with the problem mainly on their own.

There have been almost 2.4 million migrant interactions at our southwest border since Biden took office, and that's just the number of people we know about. There have also been over 750,000 runaways who eluded Border Patrol personnel. One million individuals have been freed under the catch-and-release program, and over 700 migrants have perished while attempting to enter our nation illegally.

Much of this may be traced to the Biden administration's choice to dismantle several of Trump's border protection regulations and replace them with nothing. No successful manager terminates a functioning policy and replaces it with nothing.

One of Biden's first acts as president was to reject border wall construction authorized by Congress, which resulted in the Department of Homeland Security paying out $72 million in public dollars for canceled contracts and arrangements with suppliers.

His government abandoned President Trump's Northern Triangle Agreements in February 2021, and DHS Secretary Mayorkas terminated President Trump's stay in Mexico policy in June 2021. The southwest border would have been even more swamped if a federal judge had not blocked the Biden administration from terminating Title 42, a key public health and safety program at the border, as per Washington Examiner.

A heated debate is waging in the courts and Congress over Title 42, an immigration law used to detain migrants without allowing them to seek asylum. Former President Donald Trump and his supporters argue that if it did not exist, violent criminals would take over the country. Title 42's future is questionable. Several Republican states have filed a lawsuit to prevent President Joe Biden from lifting it. A court concurred with the states earlier this month, upholding the bill.

The battle will very certainly continue via the appeals process. Senate Republicans are also pursuing legislation that would extend Title 42 until 2025. If Title 42 is lifted, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has suggested numerous steps to govern the border, The Globe and Mail reported.

Republican House lawmakers criticized President Biden on Wednesday for not doing more to curb drug and people smuggling across the US-Mexico border as the migrant crisis worsened.

A group of congressmen drove to McAllen, Texas, to see a migrant processing center and a section of the border wall. They also met with Border Patrol and Army National Guard personnel who have sought to stem the stream of illegal immigrants, as per New York Post.

Related Article: US Treasury Secretary Says President Joe Biden's Policy Did Not Cause Inflation, Economic Shock Leading To Present Scenario

@YouTube