Border wall: Defense ministry slows down project as it reviews Biden’s order



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The Army Corps of Engineers, which provides leadership and oversight of border projects, “will take appropriate action in accordance with the (decree),” Raini Brunson, a spokesperson for the agency, said.

Activity may still continue at the sites over the next few days to ensure they remain safe, an administration official told CNN.

Biden immediately shot one of his predecessor’s key legacies on Wednesday night when he signed a proclamation calling for an end to construction of the border wall.

“It will be a policy of my administration to no longer divert US taxpayer dollars to build a border wall,” Biden’s proclamation read.

Over the past four years, billions of dollars had been set aside for additional barriers at the US-Mexico border, sparking a series of lawsuits and crackdowns from environmentalists and Democratic lawmakers. Days after his term ended, former President Donald Trump visited the wall, citing it as an accomplishment of his administration.
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The majority of the approximately 455 miles built during Trump’s presidency have replaced the old dilapidated barriers with a new and improved wall system, a marked difference from previously constructed fences in some areas. Forty-nine miles have been traveled where no barriers previously existed, according to the latest figures from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

“(Wednesday’s) proclamation will likely result in what is called a suspension of work on the border wall,” said Travis Sharp, researcher at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. “During the suspension of the work, the contractor must keep track of any additional expenses caused by the delay, so that the government can possibly reimburse these expenses later.”

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