Sw Louisiana News

Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA) has introduced H.R. 163, known as the Finish the Wall Act, which aims to resume construction of the border wall system. This initiative follows the halt in construction that occurred on January 20, 2021, when the Biden administration signed an executive order stopping further development of the wall.

The bill proposes several measures: it would restart border wall construction within 24 hours of its enactment and prevent the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary from canceling any contracts related to wall construction that were entered before January 20, 2021. Additionally, it requires the DHS Secretary to allocate all funds appropriated or obligated for completing the wall system since Fiscal Year 2017. The legislation also directs the DHS Secretary to present Congress with an implementation plan detailing benchmarks for deployment and cost estimates concerning physical barriers, technology, roads, and lighting. Furthermore, it seeks to ensure U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) compliance with the DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005 at all border facilities.

"When I first introduced this legislation in the 115th Congress, President Trump’s border policies were squared away," said Congressman Higgins. "We had control of our border, and the cartels’ human and drug trafficking were operating at manageable levels." He added that since January 20, 2021, "the Biden administration ceded operational control of our southern border to the cartels," leading to what he describes as four years of chaos. Higgins expressed his intent to work with former President Trump "to finish the border wall, deport criminal illegal aliens, and secure our nation."