Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) came out in support Friday of the Biden administration’s decision to expand construction of new border wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, an issue which has divided Democrats.
“This is a necessary step to help Texas’ overwhelmed border communities deal with this current surge of migrants,” Allred said in a statement to The Hill on Friday.
The administration announced Thursday that it will waive 26 federal regulations to begin construction on sections of border wall in Texas, using funds already allocated during the Trump administration.
“I have long said that targeted physical barriers have a role to play in securing our border at high traffic areas, but this is only a partial solution,” Allred continued. “What our state really needs is comprehensive immigration reform, including adequate funding for border security personnel and technology.”
The decision has generally angered Democrats, who view it as a flip-flop on Biden’s campaign promise not to build another foot of Trump’s border wall. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called on Biden to immediately reverse course, while former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) called the move “impotent political posturing.”
The move did little to blunt GOP criticism of Biden’s border policies. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) gave a backhanded compliment celebrating the change after what he says were years of denial, while Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called the move “window dressing.”
“This is a crisis. It’s out of control, but I don’t believe for a minute that Joe Biden wants to fix it,” Cruz said Thursday, referencing illegal immigration. “I think this is all window dressing to pretend he cares.”
Allred, the favorite to win the 2024 Democratic primary to face Cruz in his Senate reelection race, had harsh words for the Republican incumbent.
“Unlike Ted Cruz, I won’t use the border as a backdrop for photo-ops and political safaris,” Allred said. “I will work across the aisle to find long-lasting solutions to fix our immigration system in a way that reflects our values and meets the needs of our economy.”
Biden pushed back Thursday against the criticism from Democrats, saying legal restrictions forced his hand.
“The money was appropriated for the border wall. I tried to get them to reappropriate, to redirect that money. They didn’t. They wouldn’t,” the president said. “In the meantime, there’s nothing under the law other than they have to use the money for what it was appropriated for. I can’t stop that.”
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas specifically said that the project does not change administration policy, contrary to what some have stated.
“From day one, this Administration has made clear that a border wall is not the answer. That remains our position and our position has never wavered,” Mayorkas said in a statement late Thursday. “The language in the Federal Register notice is being taken out of context and it does not signify any change in policy whatsoever.”
However, in the announcement earlier Thursday, Mayorkas said the new border wall was needed.
“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 into the United States in the project areas,” he said.