Immigrant Crisis at the US Border; Biden Administration Expands Border Wall

The US government announced on Thursday, October 5, that it will expand the border wall in certain areas of Texas that have recently seen a large influx of migrants. This decision marks a clear shift in the policy of President Joe Biden. President Biden stated that his administration will add sections to the border wall to prevent migrants from crossing from Mexico. The Biden administration argues that the funding for the border wall was allocated during Trump’s presidency and must now be spent. One of Biden's first decisions after entering the White House was that 'no taxpayer money will be used to build border walls,' and all financial and human resources allocated to this plan would be reviewed. Former President Trump had made the construction of the border wall one of his main campaign promises. Alejandro Mayorkas, the US Secretary of Homeland Security, said that the government has no new policy regarding the border wall. The President of Mexico also described this action as 'a step backward.' The increase in the number of migrants entering the US has put significant pressure not only on southern cities and states but also on northern states. Recently, following the arrival of several thousand migrants in just a few days to the city of Eagle Pass in Texas, the mayor of that city declared a state of emergency. Biden claims that his administration will stop the construction of the wall at the Mexican border. Trump visited the completion of over 320 kilometers of the border wall with Mexico and allocated $3.8 billion from the military budget to fund its construction. The question remains whether 725 kilometers of the border wall will be completed by next year, with construction having begun in Arizona.