Officials report high numbers of crossings along the border between Starr County and Mexico, prompting plans to construct a stretch of approximately 20 miles (32km) in that area.
The construction of a border wall stood as a prominent policy initiative during Donald Trump's presidency, garnering strong opposition from Democrats.
In 2020, Mr. Biden made a promise that if elected, he would refrain from constructing any additional sections of the wall.
Soon after taking office, his administration issued a proclamation stating that constructing a wall along the southern border "is not a viable solution to address the issue at hand."
The US Customs and Border Protection issued a statement to Associated News on Wednesday night, in which they defended their recent action. They clarified that the funds being used for the border barrier were already allocated for that purpose.
According to the statement, Congress allocated funds for the construction of a border barrier in the Rio Grande Valley for fiscal year 2019. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is obligated to utilize these funds for their intended purpose as specified by Congress.
The increasing number of illegal border crossings has rendered this issue particularly sensitive for the president.
According to government data, the Rio Grande Valley area alone has witnessed over 245,000 crossings this year. Moreover, it is anticipated that September will set a new record for the highest number of crossings.
Several cities in the United States are reporting that they are experiencing the effects of a significant increase in population.
Mayor Eric Adams of New York City has made a prediction that the cost of housing over 100,000 new arrivals since last year will increase to $12 billion within the next three years.
This week, Mr. Adams will be traveling to Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador with the purpose of discouraging migrants from embarking on their journeys. On Tuesday," he said, "we have reached our maximum capacity.
The Secretary of Homeland Security under President Biden emphasized the urgent and pressing requirement to construct a new section of wall in order to deter unlawful entries.
In order to approve its construction, numerous federal laws, such as the Clean Air Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, have been waived.
Environmentalists are expressing their anger over the move, as they argue that the construction of these structures will disrupt the habitats of endangered plants and animals.
Laiken Jordahl, a conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, expressed disappointment in President Biden's decision to disregard our country's fundamental environmental laws in order to construct border walls that are ineffective and harmful to wildlife.
The proposed plan by US Customs and Border Protection includes the installation of robust barriers composed of sturdy bollards embedded in a concrete base. Additionally, the plan incorporates the implementation of gates, cameras, and CCTV equipment.
The Department of Homeland Security announced that it intends to utilize the funding that was obtained during Donald Trump's presidency in order to construct the new section.
The Biden administration has recently exercised its authority to authorize the construction of new walls, marking the first instance of such action. This stands in contrast to the previous administration under Mr. Trump, which frequently approved the construction of walls, resulting in the completion of 450 miles of wall.
In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Mr. Trump attributed the crisis to the president's decision to repeal his strict border policies, resulting in the need to reinstate them.
He said that he has to do all of the other things that we were doing.
Mr. Biden has been receiving growing criticism for his immigration policies following a recent surge of migrants entering the United States.
According to the latest data, the US Border Patrol apprehended 181,059 individuals along the southern border in August, which is an increase from the 132,648 individuals apprehended in July.
According to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico, a staggering number of 10,000 individuals arrived at the border each day during the previous week.