Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador thanked President Joe Biden for not building any more border wall between the countries during the trilateral press conference in Mexico City on Tuesday.
"You, President Biden, you are the first president of the United States in a very long time that has not built, not even one meter of wall, and that we thank you for that, sir," he said.
Mexican President Obrador to Joe Biden:
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 10, 2023
"You, President Biden, you are the first president of the United States in a very long time that has not built, not even one meter of wall, and that we thank you for that, sir." pic.twitter.com/NtzMiSwD8m
Biden campaigned on not building any more of the border wall system that was being built by the Trump administration at the time. On day one of entering office, Biden ordered a halt on construction, resulting in gaps and many miles of unfinished projects at the U.S.-Mexico border. To this day, wall material is still laying on the ground, rotting away in the elements.
The only exception to that is in the Yuma Sector, where several gaps in the border wall system has made it easier for illegal immigrants to enter the United States. On Friday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced the construction to fill the gaps will start shortly:
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CBP is scheduled to begin mobilizing for construction next week and the project is anticipated for completion in Summer 2023. This project will be funded with DHS’s Fiscal Year 2021 appropriations and will address operational impacts, as well as immediate life and safety risks.
The gap closures will tie into already existing infrastructure in the area. The U.S. Border Patrol has a tremendous partnership with the State of Arizona and will continue to work collaboratively to expand its deployments of infrastructure, technology, and personnel.
Most of the illegal crossings occur where the border wall stops and the Cocopah Reservation begins. The reservation sits next to the U.S.-Mexico border for a few miles and only has the Normandy-style barriers that are designed to stop vehicles from illegally crossing, but people on foot are easily able to get around such barriers.
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