US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper has granted US $3.6 billion in Pentagon funding to be redirected to help build a US‑Mexico border wall.
The money will fund 280km of construction and will force 127 military projects to be put on hold.
Building a border wall was a major campaign pledge of President Donald Trump but it has faced significant opposition.
Tough action on immigration also forms a central part of his re‑election bid.
Esper's letter did not use the term "wall" but the border barriers described are likely to be cited by Trump as evidence of progress as he gears up for the vote in 2020.
[Source:BBC]
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