“I have determined that the declaration of a national emergency at our southern border was unwarranted,” US President Joe Biden wrote in a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“I have also announced that it shall be the policy of my administration that no more American taxpayer dollars be perted to construct a border wall, and that I am directing a careful review of all resources appropriated or redirected to that end", according to the Hill.
The proclamation is a final step from Biden after issuing an executive order on Day 1 questioning the validity of Trump’s national emergency and ordering a pause on all border wall construction.
Trump issued the national emergency at the border in early 2019 after repeatedly butting heads with lawmakers over funding for the project.
The emergency declaration loosened the limits on taxpayer funding, paving the way for Trump to pert funds originally intended for other agencies.
But the move landed his administration in court, as environmental groups and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) challenged $2.5 billion in Department of Defense spending that had been perted to complete construction.
Trump first floated the idea of a border wall on the campaign trail, repeatedly insisting that Mexico would pay for its construction.
But in early 2020 Customs and Border Protection reported it had found $11 billion in funding for the wall.
The letter was welcome news to members of Congress long opposed to the wall who argued a physical barrier would do little to address immigration or security concerns.
“Trump's national emergency was never about security,” Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who represents a district covering more than half of Arizona's border with Mexico, wrote on Twitter.
“It was about stealing money to fund a monument to his racist policies along the Southern Border. Now we must cancel the contracts & ensure that not another foot of border wall is constructed.”
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