US Defense Secretary Authorizes Spending Of $1Bln On Wall Along US-Mexico Border

Acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan authorized spending of $1 billion on wall construction along the US-Mexico border, according to the statement of the Department of Defense

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th March, 2019) Acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan authorized spending of $1 billion on wall construction along the US-Mexico border, according to the statement of the Department of Defense.

"Today, Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan authorized the commander of the U.S Army Corps of Engineers to begin planning and executing up to $1 billion in support to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Patrol," the Monday statement reads.

The Department of Defense said that the funds would be spent on building 57 miles of 18-foot-high pedestrian fencing, roads, and lighting within the Yuma and El Paso Sectors of the border.

US President Donald Trump declared a national emergency last month to free up to $8 billion in Federal funding to build a wall on the US southern border. The president has said the wall is needed to prevent criminals and drugs from pouring into the United States. Earlier in March, the Defense Department said it identified $12.8 billion in possible funding that could be used to fulfill Trump's call to construct border wall.