President Joe Biden is formally ending former President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration that allowed funds to be diverted to constructing a border wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.
In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday, Biden wrote, “I have determined that the declaration of a national emergency at our southern border was unwarranted.”
The president continued in the letter shared by the White House on Thursday, “I have also announced that it shall be the policy of my Administration that no more American taxpayer dollars be diverted to construct a border wall, and that I am directing a careful review of all resources appropriated or redirected to that end.”
Biden received praise from Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who tweeted, “Trump’s national emergency was never about security.”
The Congressmember continued, “It was about stealing money to fund a monument to his racist policies along the Southern Border. Now we must cancel the contracts [and] ensure that not another foot of border wall is constructed.”
Trump's national emergency was never about security.
— Raul M. Grijalva (@RepRaulGrijalva) February 11, 2021
It was about stealing money to fund a monument to his racist policies along the Southern Border.
Now we must cancel the contracts & ensure that not another foot of border wall is constructed. https://t.co/Lk4PZzjs1Y
Trump declared a national emergency in 2019 to divert funds from other areas of the government to help construct the border wall at the southern border.
The former president said at the time, “I’m going to be signing a national emergency, and it’s been signed many times before, by many presidents. It’s rarely been a problem … nobody cared.”
The declaration diverted $6 billion to either build or repair border barriers totaling roughly 234 miles, according to Politico.