Ahead of Title 42 Ending, Ernst Fights to Finish the Border Wall
Ernst’s commonsense effort would turn already purchased and unused border materials over to states to finish the job.
WASHINGTON – Since Joe Biden took office, over 5.5 million illegal immigrants have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. Instead of securing the border, the president ended construction of the barrier, and with the expiration of Title 42 this week, illegal immigration is expected to skyrocket. Border communities are already bracing for impact.
Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) has one straightforward solution: turn over the unused materials purchased to construct the Southern border barrier to any state wishing to finish the job. It would put taxpayer money to good use and help secure the border.
According to a letter to the Senate Armed Services Committee from the Army Corps of Engineers, the estimated cost to watch over the border materials is $130,000 a day, which is nearly $50 million a year. Estimates of the value of the existing materials range, but roughly one-quarter of a billion dollars is sitting on our Southern border.
“This week, due to President Biden’s failure, the Southern border will go from crisis to catastrophe,” said Senator Joni Ernst. “Instead of securing the border, the Biden administration canceled border wall projects and left materials to rack up dust and dollars. Here’s a simple solution, Mr. President: let’s put the border materials to use, end the taxpayer-funded waste, stop the unprecedented flow of illegal migrants, and finish the wall!”
Ernst’s BUILD IT Act would require the federal government to transfer any material associated with the construction of the Southern border barrier to any state, upon request, for the materials’ original purpose. Both Arizona and Texas have initiated state action to continue construction on their sections of the border wall.
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