WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Defense shifted $1 billion to begin new wall construction along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to Reuters. <br />According to the BBC, the funds are the first under the national emergency declared by President Trump to bypass Congress in order to fund his promised border wall. <br />According to Reuters, the Pentagon chief said on Monday the money would go toward planning and building a 57-mile section of "pedestrian fencing," improved roads and lighting along the border. <br />According to CNN, the Department of Defense authorized the Army Corp of Engineers to begin planning and construction for the project on Monday night. <br />According to Reuters, acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan said in a memo to Secretary of Homeland Security Kirsthen Nielsen that the Department of Defense had the authority to support counter-narcotics near international boundaries. <br /><br />Shanahan authorized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin planning and executing the project that involves building 57-miles of 18-foot-high fencing, constructing and improving roads, and installing lighting within the Yuma and El Paso sections of border.
