Biden's border wall construction has many critics

“The 360” shows you diverse perspectives on the day’s top stories and debates.

What’s happening

In a stunning decision last week, the Biden administration said it would build nearly 20 miles of additional border wall barriers planned during the Trump administration along Texas’s Rio Grande Valley, an area with “high illegal entry,” according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

In a notice quietly posted to the Federal Register late last Wednesday, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said there is “an acute and immediate need” for the barriers “to prevent unlawful entries into the United States.”

The move comes as the Biden administration struggles to manage a surge in migrant crossings at the southern border. In fact, deportations back to Venezuela have begun for individuals who have unlawfully entered the U.S. and have no legal basis to remain in the country, CBS reported last week.

Amid growing criticism of the DHS notice, Mayorkas rejected the idea that there was any change in Biden’s border wall policy. “From day one, this Administration has made clear that a border wall is not the answer,” Mayorkas said in a statement last Thursday. “That remains our position and our position has never wavered.”

Biden said his hands are tied and tried to get Congress to redirect the money that was allocated for the border wall in 2019, a signature Trump-era immigration policy Biden has denounced, but lawmakers refused.

In order to expedite the border wall barrier construction, the DHS notice says it is waiving 26 federal laws, including ones to protect wildlife and the environment, drawing criticism from environmental advocates.

Biden was asked by reporters last week in the Oval Office if he thought the border wall works, to which he replied, “No.”

Why there’s debate

Democrats called out Biden for breaking a 2020 campaign promise made when he told NPR “there will not be another foot of wall constructed in my administration.” When he took office in 2021, he issued a proclamation to end construction of the border wall stating that “building a massive wall that spans the entire southern border is not a serious policy solution.”

Republicans have celebrated Biden’s “180” on building the wall, while saying he hasn’t done enough to stop the flow of migrants across the border. Former President Donald Trump demanded an apology from Biden, while former Vice President Mike Pence called the move “ironic” and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said it’s just “window dressing to pretend he cares.”

Many Democrats say a border wall is not a real solution to the growing flow of migrants who arrive without legal authorization.

“A border wall is a 14th century solution to a 21st century problem,” Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York scolded the president on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying: “A wall does nothing to deter people who are fleeing poverty and violence from coming to the United States. Walls only serve to push migrants into more remote areas, increasing their chances of death. It is a cruel policy.”

But Democrats like Rep. Colin Allred, who is running for Cruz’s Senate seat, support Biden’s move. “This is a necessary step to help Texas’s overwhelmed border communities deal with this current surge of migrants,” Allred said.

The border wall construction will take place in Starr County, home to the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, which follows the Rio Grande along the river’s last 275 miles.

What’s next

The Trump-era law requires the funding to be used as it was approved, and the construction of the wall has to be completed in 2023.

Perspectives

Biden could have decided not to build the wall

“There’s always a choice. The administration could have left the money unspent and risk lawsuits from immigration hardliners.” — Elvia Díaz, Arizona Republic

Biden is choosing politics over real solutions

“The Biden administration’s decision to rush into border wall construction marks a profound failure. On the campaign trail, President Biden put it best when he said that the border wall is not a serious policy solution — and we couldn’t agree more. Instead of upholding this promise, the Biden administration is doubling down on the failed policies of the past that have proven wasteful and ineffective.” — Jonathan Blazer, director of border strategies, American Civil Liberties Union

Dems need to fix the perceived contradictions around immigration

“We desperately need a positive, aspirational, optimistic narrative around immigration, and Democrats are the ones that should be doing it. We are the party that is for legal orderly immigration, MAGA Republicans just want to stop everyone from coming in. That’s an important distinction here.” — Kristian Ramos, Democratic strategist, to The Hill

Biden needed to take stronger measures on immigration policy

“Given the high flow of people, and the political pressure from the right and left, Biden had to be more assertive on enforcement. Even his own party has been asking for strong measures.” — Muzaffar Chishti, senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, to New York Times

The wall is a start, but immigration needs to be addressed

“The more people you let in, the more the backlogs get created, the more the political pressure builds, and the higher the numbers. The only way you stop it is by saying you can come in, but no one else can apply, and put down the hammer.” — Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, to Fox 10 Phoenix

Wildlife is going to suffer at the hands of this decision

“It’s disheartening to see President Biden stoop to this level, casting aside our nation’s bedrock environmental laws to build ineffective wildlife-killing border walls. Starr County is home to some of the most spectacular and biologically important habitat left in Texas and now bulldozers are preparing to rip right through it.” — Laiken Jordahl, Southwest conservation advocate, Center for Biological Diversity