DHS Issues Plan for Remaining Border Wall Funding

The Department of Homeland Security has issued a plan for the remaining funds earmarked for the construction of the Trump administration’s border wall.

The plan outlines steps to end wall expansion and address life and safety concerns and environmental damages resulting from the construction project, the DHS said.

Leftover funding will be used to clean up construction sites previously funded by the Department of Defense. Efforts will cover drainage clean-ups, erosion control, site remediation and material disposal.

The DHS has already begun repairs of a levee system at Rio Grande Valley that was excavated during the previous administration to make way for the border wall. The agency is working on closing the breaches in the flood barrier system, which threaten low-lying regions in Hidalgo County, Texas.

Backfill projects have also been authorized to remediate soil erosion in San Diego caused by improper compaction of soil and construction materials along a wall segment.

The DHS plans to review projects that are not urgently needed to avert immediate physical dangers. The review will include an environmental impact analysis and consultation with relevant stakeholders, including border community residents, elected representatives and tribal communities.

Plans to reuse the border wall funding align with President Joe Biden’s proclamation ending the diversion of funds for the border wall.

Biden recently announced the return of $2.2 billion in diverted border wall funding back to the DOD for use in deferred defense construction projects. The returned funding represents the unspent balance of the $3.6 billion that the Trump administration planned to use for the barrier.