Contrary to promises, Biden expands the border wall with Mexico – Trump ridicules the climate crisis: 43 million minors have had to flee in the past six years

US President Joe Biden has defended his administration’s decision to approve an expansion of the controversial border wall with Mexico, contrary to previous promises. The money for this was approved under his predecessor Donald Trump, the White House announced on Thursday (local time).

Biden told reporters he tried unsuccessfully to convince Congress to use the funds for other purposes. ‘I can’t stop this’ he added. When asked if he believed border walls would work against irregular migration, he responded curtly “no.” Trump responded mockingly to the announcement.

The extension concerns an approximately 32 kilometer long stretch in Starr County in the state of Texas. The work in the Rio Grande Valley region was approved in 2019 under Trump and is required by law to be completed by the end of this year, the government said.

The Department of Homeland Security sees an “acute need” for a barrier

However, in an announcement in the US gazette on Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security justified the expansion with the current flow of migrants to the US southern border. In August, approximately 245,000 illegal border crossings were registered in this area. There is an “acute and immediate need” for physical barriers, the report said. For this reason, several federal laws regarding environmental impact testing, for example, are ignored.

Mexico is on the route of people trying to get to the US, mainly from Central and South America. They are fleeing poverty, violence and political crises in their country.

Trump’s mockery

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday that the decision did not mark a reversal of Biden’s policies: “From day one, this administration has made it clear that a border wall is not the answer.” However, Trump used the announcement to mock Biden’s policies. On his Truth Social platform, he called on him to apologize to himself and the country. “I’m waiting for his apology”wrote the ex-president.

Trump announced at the time that he would build a “beautiful wall” on the roughly 2,000-mile (3,200-kilometer) southern border with Mexico to keep out undocumented immigrants and criminals. Biden’s Democrats accused him of pursuing an inhumane isolation policy.

Criticism from civil rights activists

The civil rights group ACLU criticized the border wall expansion as a “serious mistake.” She recalled that Biden had dismissed the wall during the election campaign as an unserious policy and vowed not to pursue it. “Instead of delivering on this promise, the Biden administration is now relying on failed past policies that have proven wasteful and ineffective,” the report said in a statement.

Deportations of Venezuelans resume

The US government also announced on Thursday that it would resume deportations of migrants to Venezuela. The deportation flights must begin immediately. This affects people who have crossed the US border irregularly. Venezuela has been in a serious crisis for years. According to the UN, millions of people have left the South American country in recent years due to poverty and violence.

Just a few weeks ago, Biden granted temporary protected status in the United States to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans already in the country. This gives them, among other things, the opportunity to work. (saw/sda/dpa)