Written by Miguel Palacios
Under President Trump, the Army Corps of Engineers had orders to build a wall at the southern border. We all know the story, but with the inauguration of president Biden, there has been an order to stop building and divert the funds that had been allocated for the project away to other government agencies.
The federal government had requested two parcels of land from the City of Calexico for the building of the wall, and though the Mayor Pro-Tem had approved of the sale in December, by the time the City Council got around to approving the sale, the Biden Administration had already halted all project activities.
According to some Calexico officials, the sale of the land was going to benefit the city and the members of the community. The land in question is worth very little to the city, is undeveloped, and has a perpetual easement placed on it, meaning that the city could never develop it.
The profit from the sale, approximately $26,000, is a small fraction of the city’s yearly operating expenses, but the wall would have provided security to residents of the city as well as the country, as it would have served as a barrier preventing an influx of illegal immigration. The city’s economy also would’ve benefited from the stimulating effect of having the construction going on and the people it would bring to the area.
The government’s highest priority should be the safety and protection of its people. Though it is disconcerting to think of the situation that many people south of the border face, we must also think about our people in our neighborhoods. To leave the border wall unfinished is a disservice to the American people who rely on it for safety and who have paid for it with their taxes.
Photo sourced from KPBS
