Biden Admin to Finish Parts of Border Wall in Arizona

Citing safety concerns, the Biden administration will complete a portion of border wall construction near Yuma, Arizona.

The area has become popular for illegal border crossings; migrant encounters with U.S. Border Patrol agents in the area jumped nearly 300% in the first nine months of this fiscal year. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the project will close four large gaps in the border wall to address "immediate life and safety risks." The move comes amid calls from Sen. Mary Kelly (D-Az.) and other border-state lawmakers to address the ongoing immigration crisis along the southern border. Kelly said the announcement was "a step forward and I’ll keep working to ensure that Arizona has the tools needed for a secure and orderly process at the border including fencing and barriers where they make sense."

President Joe Biden criticized former President Donald Trump's border wall during his 2020 campaign. On his first day in office, he signed a proclamation to terminate federal funds that Trump had diverted for the project, and in May 2021, his administration canceled all border wall construction projects that were paid for with military funding.

Right-rated outlets highlighted the news prominently, with some, such as Fox News (Right bias), framing it as their top story Friday morning. The Associated Press (Center bias) and UPI were two of the few center-rated sources to cover the news. As of this writing, no left-rated outlets had offered original reporting on the announcement.