By AFPMore by this AuthorWashington,Acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan said Monday he had authorised $1 billion to build part of the wall sought by President Donald Trump along the US-Mexico border. The Department of Homeland Security asked the Pentagon to build 57 miles (92 kilometers) of 18-foot (5.5-meter) fencing, build and improve roads, and install lighting to support Trump's emergency declaration as concerns the border. Shanahan "authorised the commander of the US Army Corps of Engineers to begin planning and executing up to $1 billion in support to the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Patrol," a Pentagon statement read. Border fencing is pictured on the US-Mexican border in Anapra, New Mexico, under a full moon on March 19, 2019. BUDGETFrustrated by Congress's refusal to provide the budget he sought to build a border wall, Trump declared a national emergency last month in order to bypass lawmakers to unlock $8 billion in funding.

Source: Daily Nation March 26, 2019 05:37 UTC