Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly explained the importance of allocating a part of the budget to fund border security on May 2.
“If I may remind you, apprehensions of illegal immigrants and criminals at the border are down significantly but we need more to keep moving forward. This is our government’s largest investment in border security in ten years. We are beginning to get the tools we need to make a change but frankly I am shocked at the behaviour of some individuals in public service or public office that instead of celebrating how they’ve managed to reduce the amount of money for a border wall, a wall that will make us more secure that will prevent drug smuggling, they’re rejoicing in the fact that that wall will be slower to be built and, consequently, our southwest border under less control than it could be,” he said at a White House briefing.
Lawmakers announced Sunday they had reached an agreement to avoid a shutdown until September.
Republicans say the budget includes money for border security and the military, but it is unclear how much will be allocated for the border wall.
