EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — The Department of Defense announced Friday that it is canceling all border wall projects that were paid for with military funds, “consistent with the president’s proclamation.”
“DOD has begun taking all necessary actions to cancel border barrier projects and to coordinate with interagency partners. Today’s action reflects this Administration’s continued commitment to defending our nation and supporting our service members and their families,” Jamal Brown, Deputy Pentagon Spokesman, said in a statement.
The DOD said it will proceed 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.
The cancellation means those projects can move forward as soon as possible, according to a news release. However, the DOD will review its project list to determine which ones need to be prioritized.
In one of his first official actions as president, Joe Biden halted the construction of the border wall by rescinding an emergency order imposed by Donald Trump along the Southwest border.
Biden’s executive order, which he signed on Inauguration Day, dissolved Proclamation 9844, which former President Donald Trump issued on Feb. 15, 2019, “to deal with the border security and humanitarian crisis” at the border, and it allowed the president to access military funds for border security measures.
Just two days before leaving office, Trump extended the proclamation through Feb. 15, 2022. But with a swipe of his pen, Biden rescinded it. And that means that Congress will have to shift billions of dollars that had been taken from the Department of Defense for border wall construction.