Mexico Welcomes Biden's Executive Order to Halt Border Wall Construction

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) - Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard has welcomed US President Joe Biden's newly signed executive order to halt the construction of the wall on the US-Mexico border.

Democrat Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on 20 January. Just hours after the inauguration ceremony, he embarked on finalising 17 executive orders to reverse some of his predecessor's policies.

"Mexico welcomes an end to the construction of the wall, the immigration initiative in favour of [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] DACA and a path towards dual citizenship", Ebrard tweeted soon after the order was signed by the newly sworn-in president.

The DACA programme grants temporary residency and work privileges to immigrants that were brought to the United States illegally as children.

U.S. President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala D. Harris, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff depart after the 59th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, DC, U.S. January 20, 2021.

© REUTERS / POOL

In January 2017, ex-President Donald Trump signed the executive order to begin wall construction along the US–Mexico border using existing federal funding. Trump had vowed to build up to 800 kilometres- (497 miles) long wall. As of January 5, the wall is 727 kilometres-long. Biden has made it clear that he would not demolish what has already been built.