Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott announced in a social media post on Wednesday that the construction of the Texas-Mexico border wall will begin soon, as the state addresses the growing surge of migrants crossing the border under the Biden administration’s policies.
“Construction of Texas-Mexico border wall will begin soon,” Abbott tweeted.
“In the Biden Administration’s absence, Texas is stepping up to get the job done by building our own border wall,” he added.
Construction of Texas-Mexico border wall will begin soon.
In the Biden Administration’s absence, Texas is stepping up to get the job done by building our own border wall.https://t.co/jLEBT0QenL
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) December 15, 2021
The post included a link to an article released on Tuesday by Houston’s KPRC-TV.
“Construction is expected to begin soon on a 1.7-mile portion of the Texas border wall,” the report said.
“During a Nov. 18 TFC meeting, commissioners unanimously approved a design-build contract that will not exceed $162 million for a total of eight miles of border wall that will fill gaps between portions of the federal border wall,” the report said.
“The contract was awarded to Posillico Civil, Inc., a 75-year-old New York-based engineering firm that has worked on other border projects,” it added.
Abbott announced plans for Texas to build its own barrier along the state’s southern border in a statement in June.
“The Biden Administration has abandoned its responsibilities to secure the border and Texans are suffering as a result,” Abbott said.
“The problems along the border are only getting worse due to President Biden’s inaction. Property is being destroyed, deadly drugs and illegal weapons are being smuggled into communities throughout the state, law enforcement is having to redirect their resources, and county judges and mayors are facing skyrocketing expenses. Texas is doing more than any state has ever done to protect the border, but it is clear that more is needed,” Abbott said in the statement.
“In the Biden Administration’s absence, Texas is stepping up to get the job done by building the border wall. Through this comprehensive public safety effort, we will secure the border, slow the influx of unlawful immigrants, and restore order in our border communities,” the statement added.
The state launched the project with $250 million in funding. Abbott also announced a donation page where Americans can directly donate to the effort.
As of December 13, more than $54 million in donated funds have been reported for the Texas border wall.
In August, The Daily Wire reported:
Abbott noted that if the Biden administration will not enforce its message that the borders are not open then the state of Texas will.
“What people have seen in videos across the country seems to be the Biden Administration welcoming these people to the United States. We won’t be sending that message,” Abbott told Breitbart in an interview. “If you come to Texas, you’re subject to being arrested. You’re not going to have a pathway to roam the country. You’re going to have a pathway directly into a jail cell.”
The border barriers Abbott plans to erect serve a double purpose. They are physical deterrents, Abbott said, but they also allow Texas to take a more active role in border enforcement, something that states are generally prevented from doing through the separation of powers, which leaves the job of protecting the country’s borders largely to the federal government.