Trump taunts Biden on border wall reversal amid immigration surge.

 

In a major reversal, the Biden administration on Wednesday cleared the way for new border wall construction in Texas to slow immigration.

Why it matters: The plan conflicts with Biden's promise that his administration would not build "another foot" of the wall that former President Trump erected along the U.S.-Mexico border.

• One of Biden's first executive actions halted construction of the wall. The White House said at the time that building the barrier was "not a serious policy solution."

The latest: Biden told reporters Thursday that Congress had appropriated the funding for the border wall and the administration was required by law to use it for that purpose, per a White House pool report.

• "I tried to get them to reappropriate, to redirect that money. They didn't. They wouldn't," he said.

Between the lines: Biden has previously disavowed former President Trump's immigration policies. But under pressure from Republicans and members of his own party, his administration has adopted tougher measures.

• Trump posted on Truth Social earlier Thursday that Biden's decision proved "that I was right" in building a border wall.
• "I will await his apology!" Trump wrote.

Driving the news: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it would waive 26 laws — including the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act — to allow for new border wall construction, according to a notice on the Federal Registry.