Letter to the Hon. Dr. Mark Esper, Secretary of Defense, the Hon. Chad Wolf, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Hon. Williams Barr, Attorney General - Heinrich, Cuellar Lead Bicameral Letter Demanding End To Border Wall Construction During COVID-19 Pandemic

Letter

Dear Secretary Esper, Acting Secretary Wolf, and Attorney General Barr:

While our country fights to combat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, continuing border wall construction places local communities at unnecessary risk. We request that during this crisis, all border wall construction halt immediately.

Currently, the primary threat to the United States is the spread of COVID-19. This deadly virus has killed thousands of our fellow citizens, sparked a global pandemic, and tremendously slowed the United States economy. Money should be invested in healthcare, small businesses, and fighting the spread of COVID-19, not used to build an ineffective and wasteful border wall that does not solve our immigration crisis or protect our homeland. We should be using all resources and funding to combat this virus and protect Americans, instead of using critical funding and resources to continue the construction of a border wall.

The construction of a wall puts workers, law enforcement personnel, and border residents in immediate danger. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has outlined social distancing and quarantine policies, which further wall construction defies. Those who are tasked with building this wall are susceptible to not only contracting COVID-19, but also risk spreading the virus to others. Continuation of construction only exacerbates the public health risks for those living at the southern border, detracting from our national efforts against fighting this virus.

At this juncture, the priority of the United States must be to stop the spread of COVID-19. The continuation of wall construction compromises those efforts. For these reasons, we ask that you take all steps necessary to ensure that border communities are protected from the unnecessary risk of infection during this pandemic and utilize critical resources to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Thank you for your consideration of our request.