After months of inaction on the border wall, the Biden administration has finally offered a partial solution to the border crisis.
To stop the migrant surge in one of the most dangerous areas of the border, the government has reportedly authorized the United States Army Corps of Engineers to strengthen at least one several-mile stretch of former President Trump’s southern border wall.
Fox News confirmed in a report on Wednesday the USACE will restart construction on a 13.4 mile section of border wall levee in the Rio Grande Valley. The decision is reportedly a result of pressure from local residents and politicians for the federal government to take action to stop the massive surge of illegal immigrants crossing into Texas.
In six weeks, the USACE will begin repairing the levee to prevent flooding which will be followed by constructing a new wall to be completed within the next six to nine months, according to Fox News.
While officials believe this will be a deterrent to migrants crossing into the US through the Rio Grande Valley, they confirmed the wall is not being expanded, only repaired.
DHS issued a statement on April 30 clarifying that President Biden remains committed to halting the border wall construction “to the extend permitted by law” and redirecting funds away from the project. The steps they are taking in the Rio Grande is “consistent” with the president’s “Proclamation to protect border communities”.
Although this may be the first step into resolving the crisis at the border, the Biden administration has not offered any long-term solution to the thousands of migrants who continue to cross over the United States’ open borders.
