Biden admin redirects $2 billion in border wall funds to Defense Department

The two-part plan kicked off on April 30 of this year with the cancellation of "all border barrier construction projects paid for with funds originally appropriated for other military missions and functions."

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hick "approved a plan to use the $2.2 billion of unobligated military construction funds previously made available for border barrier construction to restore funding in FY 2021 for 66 projects in 11 States, 3 territories, and 16 countries," reads a statement from the DOD.

President Joe Biden has determined that "'building a massive wall that spans the entire southern border is not a serious policy solution' to the security challenges at the southern border." The $2.2 million will be reallocated to projects both domestic and abroad—with more than half of the funding targeting projects in foreign countries and United States territories.

Despite the Biden administration's cancellation of the border wall, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced last week the state would be unveiling plans to continue building the wall along its southern border, which shares the longest stretch of the border with Mexico. "I will announce next week the plan for the state of Texas to begin building the border wall in the state of Texas. The border crisis is no laughing matter. It's not a tourism site for members of Congress to visit and then return to DC and do nothing," said the Republican governor.

The announcement comes as many Texas towns and cities struggle with the drastic influx in immigration seen over the last few months. "One thing we know and that is a border crisis is plaguing the farmers, the ranchers, the residents of the entire border region. Your law enforcement officers, they are having to redirect their resources to deal with the border as opposed to deal what they normally deal with which is keeping your communities safe every day," Abbott said.