DHS has spent $72 million to avoid building more border wall

The Department of Homeland Security has spent $72 million in shutdown costs to stop building portions of former President Trump’s border wall, Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told Congress on Wednesday.

That money went to cancel contracts and deal with supplies in the pipeline for projects Mr. Mayorkas canceled.

He said that doesn’t include money the Pentagon spent to cancel projects Mr. Trump assigned to the Defense Department to help Homeland Security build hundreds of miles of fencing.

An estimate by Sen. James Lankford last year said the Pentagon’s shutdown costs were $2 billion.

Mr. Mayorkas revealed Homeland Security’s number during a hearing on his department’s budget request...