(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . President Biden Builds The Wall [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-10-05 Never would I thought that this headline would be anything more than satire. President Biden Builds The Wall! The Washington Post: U.S. officials said Thursday that they will resume direct deportation flights to Venezuela and fast-track construction of new barriers along the southern border, moves aimed at curbing the record number of illegal crossings into the United States under President Biden. While we are betraying the liberal ideal, let’s get kicked some more: The announcement followed a separate notice from Biden officials who said they will bypass environmental and conservation laws for the first time to fast-track barrier construction along the southern border, citing an “acute and immediate” need to stop soaring numbers of migrants crossing illegally in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. That announcement, published in the Federal Register, amounted to a shift for Biden, who rebuked his predecessor’s pet project by vowing as he ran for office that he would not build “another foot of wall.” Secretary Mayorkas signed off on this. “There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unlawful entries,” said the notice, signed by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Mayorkas said the administration will waive more than two dozen laws, including the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act and the National Historic Preservation Act. Caving to the Republican argument (a complete lie, of course), the President will now be pandering to the growing number of liberals against migration. Pointing to a campaign promise by Biden – “There will not be another foot of wall constructed in my administration” – Jason Miller, a senior Trump adviser, said: “Biden’s flip-flop here is not only a validation of President Trump’s border and immigration policies, but also a validation of President Trump’s entire 2024 America First campaign!” I’ve got nothing to add to that garbage. This is an utter betrayal of liberalism — right in the middle of Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month (Mes de la Herencia Hispana). There has been some pushback, according to The Guardian: Joe Biden faced intense criticism from environmental advocates, political opponents and his fellow Democrats after the president’s administration waived 26 federal laws to allow border wall construction in south Texas, its first use of a sweeping executive power that was often employed under Donald Trump. Henry Cuellar said. “It will not bolster border security in Starr county. “A border wall is a 14th-century solution to a 21st-century problem,” the Democratic Texas congressmansaid. “It will not bolster border security in Starr county. “I continue to stand against the wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars on an ineffective border wall.” Environmental advocates said the new wall would run through public lands, habitats of endangered plants and species such as the ocelot, a spotted wild cat. “A plan to build a wall will bulldoze an impermeable barrier straight through the heart of that habitat,” said Laiken Jordahl, a south-west conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity. “It will stop wildlife migrations dead in their tracks. It will destroy a huge amount of wildlife refuge land. And it’s a horrific step backwards for the borderlands.” The President’s response? President Joe Biden said Thursday that he doesn’t believe border walls work, even as his administration said it will waive 26 laws to build additional border barriers in the Rio Grande Valley amid heightened political pressure over migration. “I’ll answer one question on the border wall: The border wall – the money was appropriated for the border wall. I tried to get them to reappropriate it, to redirect that money. They didn’t, they wouldn’t. And in the meantime, there’s nothing under the law other than they have to use the money for what it was appropriated. I can’t stop that,” Biden told reporters in the Oval Office. Asked whether he believes the border wall works, Biden answered, “No.” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas stated forcefully that there had been no change to the administration’s policy at a news conference in Mexico City on Thursday. “I want to address today’s reporting relating to a border wall and be absolutely clear: There is no new administration policy with respect to the border wall,” Mayorkas said. “Allow me to repeat that: There is no new administration policy with respect to the border wall.” “We have repeatedly asked Congress to rescind this money, but it has not done so, and we are compelled to follow the law,” he said. Well… some of the laws, it seems. All of the emphasis above is mine… frankly, an hour ago it was all caps and probably will be again before the day is through. What could be done instead? How about good management! How about good resources for those seeking to migrate! Federal money could have gone to so many other worthwhile purposes to aid migration. Let’s take an example of SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. This stadium holds over 70,000 people. How does one building accommodate 70,000 people for an event on one day? And, for most part, they do it safely? They manage the entrances, they work with the attendees to aid them, they prepare their staff for all contingencies (unruly behavior, counterfeit tickets, other criminal activities and so on). The Republicans have made it so there are only two or three entrances to the stadium, with antiquated software and other tools, poorly trained and overworked staff and every other obstacle one can imagine. Oh, and let’s give applicants a poor tool with bad translation for applying. Where is the Build Back Better? Build the Wall Back Better? 5th of October 2023 — the saddest day of the Biden administration: President Biden Builds The Wall! Please call your representatives if you feel this policy shift is wrong. 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