President Biden informed Congress on Thursday that he has ended the national emergency over the US-Mexico border first proclaimed by former President Trump in February 2019.
Why it matters: Trump used the national emergency proclamation to divert billions of dollars in Pentagon funds toward the construction of a border wall after it became clear that Congress was against additional funding. The statement sparked dozens of lawsuits and attempts by Congress to prevent Trump from honoring one of his key 2016 campaign promises.
What they say: “I have determined that declaring a national emergency on our southern border was unfounded. I also announced that it will be my government’s policy to stop diverting US taxpayers’ money to build a border wall, and that I am leading a careful assessment of all resources allocated or redeployed for that purpose, ” Biden wrote in a letter to conference leaders.
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