The United States government has announced plans to reinforce the border wall with Mexico in areas where there has been a significant increase in irregular migrant crossings. The construction work will include physical barriers and roads to prevent migrants from illegally entering US territory. The decision comes as data from the Customs and Border Control Office (CBP) shows that the Rio Grande Valley in southeast Texas has seen the second-highest number of migrant detentions in recent months. Between October 2022 and August of this year, over 245,000 people were detained while attempting to cross the border in this area.
To carry out the construction work in Starr County, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will waive compliance with more than two dozen laws, including those related to environmental and public health protections. This decision has faced criticism from environmental advocacy group Center for Biological Diversity, which argues that this is the first time the Democratic government has bypassed laws of this nature.
The announcement by the Biden Administration comes amidst a 36% increase in arrests of migrants attempting to cross the southern border irregularly in August, with over 181,059 arrests reported. The Rio Grande Valley sector alone accounted for 26% of these arrests. This increase comes despite the implementation of more restrictive measures on movement at the southern border by the Democratic government in May, which aimed to limit access to asylum in the United States.