Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Denounces Biden Administration's Move to Allow More Construction of Mexican Border Wall

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has strongly criticized the Biden Administration's decision to resume construction of the Mexican border wall. Ocasio-Cortez called the move "cruel" and argued that walls do not deter people fleeing poverty and violence. She further stated that walls push migrants into more remote areas, increasing their chances of death. Ocasio-Cortez also took issue with President Joe Biden's claim that the funds for resuming construction were already appropriated for the wall in the Trump administration.

Biden, on the other hand, claimed that he tried to redirect the money but was denied by Congress. Despite stating that a wall is not the answer to the border crisis, Biden and his administration are waiving dozens of federal laws to add about 20 miles of wall in Starr County, Texas. This county is part of the Rio Grande Valley Sector, which has recorded 245,000 illegal crossings this year.

Interestingly, the Biden Administration is using funds from the Trump administration to resume construction of the wall, a move that Ocasio-Cortez finds concerning. Her statement on the matter was shared on X, formerly known as Twitter. She criticized the Biden administration for expanding construction of the border wall and waiving environmental laws. Ocasio-Cortez called for the United States to examine the root causes of migration and stop contributing to destabilization.

The resumption of wall construction by Biden, previously criticized during his campaign, has been used by Republicans to attack his border policy. Senator Ted Cruz accused Biden of not wanting to fix the border crisis and called it "window dressing." Biden waived 26 laws to expedite the construction of the border wall, despite his previous statement that border walls don't work.

In addition to Ocasio-Cortez and Cruz, the article includes various quotes from Biden himself. It also mentions Newt Gingrich's criticism of Republicans who axed McCarthy. Notably, former President Donald Trump endorsed Jim Jordan for House Speaker.

The article, published by the Associated Press, also highlights the concerns raised by Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. Ernst sent a letter to President Biden urging him to halt the auctioning off of border wall materials. She mentioned Biden's campaign promise of not building another foot of wall and suggested using the on-hand materials instead of auctioning them off for as low as $5 a lot.

Biden, however, claims that the decision to build the wall was because the money was already appropriated for it and he couldn't redirect the funds. He states that there is nothing under the law that allows him to stop the construction. When asked by a reporter, Biden denied that a wall is effective in preventing illegal entries.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas clarified that the Biden administration's stance on border walls has not changed. They have stated that a border wall is not the solution to immigration issues. The funds for border wall construction were appropriated under former President Donald Trump. Currently, unused border fence materials are sitting at a border wall construction staging area in New Mexico, while other materials are being auctioned off.

Senator Joni Ernst accused the Biden administration of not taking border security seriously and wasting taxpayer-funded border wall parts. She called for the administration to use the already purchased materials to secure the border instead of auctioning them off. The Biden administration has faced criticism for proposing a border wall amid the ongoing migrant crisis.