By Brian Brant
(WASHINGTON) President Joe Biden's administration announced on Friday it would cancel all construction border funding that was paid for by redirected military funds, according to a Department of Defense spokesperson, per NBC News.
The change comes after the Trump administration increased its use of Defense spending to build portions of former President Donald Trump's border wall after Congress refused to reappropriate money in 2019.
"Consistent with [President Biden’s] proclamation, the Department of Defense is proceeding with canceling all border barrier construction projects paid for with funds originally intended for other military missions and functions such as schools for military children, overseas military construction projects in partner nations, and the National Guard and Reserve equipment account," deputy Pentagon spokesperson Jamal Brown said on Friday.
NBC News reports it is not immediately clear if the White House's halt would affect all construction projects along the southern border, although those projects remain on "pause."
The Department of Homeland Security announced it would also begin repairing damage the border wall construction caused to the Rio Grande Valley’s flood barrier system and soil erosion in San Diego. DHS said it would complete a plan to identify areas damaged by border wall construction as well.
As a candidate, Biden pledged not to build "not another foot" of the border wall and paused all border wall construction and commissioned a 60-day review to examine how military funds had been redirected toward wall construction, but the review dragged on past the deadline.