Donald Trump believes it is time for President Joe Biden to publicly apologize for resuming construction on parts of the southern border wall after repeatedly halting construction during his 2020 election.
The president’s hypocrisy is on full display this week when Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said there is an “acute and immediate need” to abandon 26 federal laws — many of which were introduced by the Biden administration – which is currently roadblocking the construction of a border wall.
“There will not be another foot of wall built in my administration,” Biden said in 2020 as he ran for president against Donald Trump – who favored building more border barriers.
On his first day in office, Biden declared that building a wall was not a “serious policy solution.”
The stunning policy reversal comes as the illegal immigration crisis at the southern border continues to worsen despite repeated efforts to route asylum seekers to the US through legal channels.
Republicans are angered by Biden’s sharp departure from his early days, insisting he would prevent such barriers and now embracing right-wing proposals to address the border crisis.
“There will not be another foot of wall built in my administration,” Biden said in 2020 when he ran for president. On his first day in office, he declared that building a wall was not a “serious policy solution” to the migration crisis
Donald Trump now wants a public apology from President Biden after his sharp reversal this week by resuming construction of the southern border wall in some areas where illegal immigration is increasing. Pictured: A migrant climbs the border fence to seek asylum after entering the U.S. from Tijuana, Mexico, on October 2, 2023
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wy.) said Wednesday in discussing the change, “Well, Joe Biden’s border policy has been one train wreck after another.”
“He has so little respect for the Border Patrol, for the citizens of this country or for the communities they live in along the border, and completely ignored them. It’s disgusting,” the senator added.
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers have spent the past two years calling for Secretary Mayorkas’ impeachment for dereliction of duty by refusing to properly address the crisis at the southern border.
DHS announced Thursday that construction will begin in Starr County, Texas, which is in the Rio Grande Valley Sector on the southern border. The government claims there was a ‘high level of illegal entry’ into this area, including 245,000 encounters with migrants in that sector in this financial year.
Mayorkas says he is using his authority granted by Congress to waive 26 federal laws so the wall can be built in certain areas.
Among the laws that will be waived to create barriers to suppress illegal immigration are the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.
“The Secretary of Homeland Security has determined by law that it is necessary to waive certain laws, regulations, and other legal requirements to ensure the expeditious construction of barriers and roads near the international land border in Starr County. , Texas,” reads a summary of the notice of determination.
Trump was quick to point out that Biden is now embracing what the previous administration wanted to accomplish with the border wall — and also ignoring some of these laws that run counter to policies the president has promoted, such as prioritizing environmental protection.
Former President Donald Trump says he is owed an apology after Biden’s hypocrisy in repeatedly rejecting his construction of the physical southern border barriers. Trump speaks with U.S. Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott (R) as they participate in a ceremony commemorating the 200th mile of border wall with Mexico in San Luis, Arizona, June 23, 2020
Trump said Biden is also ignoring other priorities — such as environmental protection — to ensure the border wall gets built in Starr County, Texas.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas waived 26 federal laws to allow construction of several miles of border wall in South Texas
“So interesting to see Crooked Joe Biden breaking every environmental law in the book to prove I was right to build 560 miles (they incorrectly mention 450 in the story!) of a brand new, beautiful border wall,” the ex wrote president on his Truth Social account on Thursday.
“As I’ve often said, there are only two things that have worked consistently over thousands of years: wheels and walls!” Trump continued. “Will Joe Biden apologize to me and America for taking so long to move, and allowing our country to be flooded with 15 million illegal immigrants, from places unknown?”
“I’m waiting for his apology!”
Before Biden decided Wednesday to embrace building physical border barriers, he said during his campaign that there were other ways to combat illegal immigration.
“I’m going to make sure that we have border protection, but it will be based on the assurance that we use high-tech capabilities to deal with it,” he said in an interview in August 2020. “And at the ports of entry, that’s where all the bad things happen .’