January 1, Texas Begins Construction of Border Wall

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) kicked off construction of the state’s border wall.

Abbott held a press conference for the debut, joined by various state officials who spoke about the state’s progress regarding the US-Mexico border.

“In June, I promised Texans that we would step up in the federal government’s absence and build our own border wall,” Abbott said.

“We have wasted no time in the six months since that promise was made, and I am proud to announce that construction of the Texas border wall is now underway. Today not only represents the first phase of the Texas border wall, but it also serves as a major milestone in our efforts to combat illegal immigration, stop the smuggling of drugs and people, and keep our communities safe.”

In September, Abbott signed a nearly $1.8 billion border security bill into law, earmarking $750 million for the border wall.

Private donations are also funding the project, with over $54 million in donations as of December 13.

“The Texas border wall is officially up. While Biden does nothing, we are stepping up to protect our communities,” Abbott wrote on Twitter.

“The Lone Star State is securing the border.”

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott launches construction of border wall funded by state money and private donations after Biden paused federal projects