The Pentagon said Friday it had canceled projects related to Donald Trump’s border wall and was returning money the former president directed to the project to defense programs.
“The Department of Defense is proceeding with canceling all border barrier construction projects paid for with funds originally intended for other military missions and functions such as schools for military children, overseas military construction projects in partner nations, and the National Guard and Reserve equipment account,” Jamal Brown, deputy Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement.
In addition, the Homeland Security Department said it would repair flood barriers in Texas and “dangerous” soil erosion in San Diego that it said were the result of Trump’s wall construction. The department is continuing to review “extensive problems created by the prior administration’s border wall construction,” it said in a statement.
The wall won’t be expanded as part of the repair projects, the department said.
“Border wall construction under the previous administration tied up more than $14 billion in taxpayer funds, shortchanged our military, and diverted attention away from genuine security challenges, like human traffickers,” the White House said in a statement.
“Rushed and haphazard wall construction also resulted in serious life, safety, and environmental issues.”
President Joe Biden issued an order on his first day in the White House halting construction of the wall, one of Trump’s top priorities.
He has drawn fire from Trump and Republican allies for contributing to a crisis-level immigration surge because of his extreme reversal of the previous administration’s stricter migration policies.
Source: Newmax
