The Pentagon has authorized the transfer of up to $1 billion to begin the construction of the border wall in support of President Trump’s national emergency declaration, according to Fox News.
The funding would cover 57 miles of 18 foot high “pedestrian fencing” in the Yuma and El Paso regions.
This–according to a New York Times reporter–marks the first time funds will be transferred under 10 U.S.C. § (b) (7) 248 for the wall.
According to the Pentagon statement, “10 U.S.C. § 284(b)(7) gives the Department of Defense the authority to construct roads and fences and to install lighting to block drug-smuggling corridors across international boundaries of the United States in support of counter-narcotic activities of Federal law enforcement agencies.”
On February 15, President Trump declared a national emergency. In an address in the Rose Garden, he highlighted the drugs pouring over the border: “…Our country is doing very well economically, and we have done a lot. But one of the things I said I have to do and I want to do is border security, because we have tremendous amounts of drugs flowing into our country, much of it coming from the southern border.”
Last week, it was reported that the Pentagon had identified $12.8 billion from military construction projects that could potentially be diverted to fund the border wall.
