US Cancels First Border Wall Contracts, Reviewing Others - Homeland Security Dept.

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd July, 2021) The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Friday that the Federal government has terminated two contracts to construct border wall on the US southern border with Mexico because it found they were unnecessary.

"Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is terminating two border barrier contracts in the Laredo Sector that are not necessary to address any life, safety, environmental, or other remediation requirements, as described in the DHS Border Wall Plan implementing President Biden's Proclamation," DHS said in a press release.

These are the first contracts terminated by the Biden administration and other contracts are being reviewed to determine if others are unnecessary as well, the release said.

The contracts canceled on Friday would have been for the addition of 31 miles of border wall on the US-Mexico border in south Texas, the release said.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is in the process of using his authority to build additional border wall, but construction has not begun.

CBP data shows that Border Patrol agents apprehended 188,829 migrants on the US southern border in the month of June, bringing the total number of apprehensions in the region since October to 1.1 million.