Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan lauded the
Supreme Court decision allowing the administration to use military funds to build additional border wall.“It was a big victory at the Supreme Court to allow Department of Defense to move forward with that $2.5 billion dollars to really accelerate the progress on the wall, and kind’ve double what we’re doing with the congressionally appropriated funding, which is going well,” McAleenan said Sunday on Fox Business.“We’re up to 54 miles [of new border wall] since we talked — building every day down there on the border. That’s already providing significant new operational capability and helping us control high-traffic areas of the border,” he continued.McAleenan’s comments came two days after the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could reprogram $2.5 billion in Department of Defense funds for
border wall construction. Because of the decision, President
Donald Trump can move forward with plans to build 100 miles of wall along the U.S.-Mexico border as it continues to fight challenges in the lower courts.The
White House in February declared a national emergency for the southern border, a move that allowed the administration to reallocate billions from the military. However, a coalition of environmentalist and progressive groups sued in an attempt to block construction. A 9th Circuit court panel in July sided with a federal judge’s decision to block the funds, putting up a roadblock to construction.