Trump to Dip Into Defense Construction Budget For Border Wall

The federal U.S. budget has so far only earmarked approximately US$1.4 billion for the construction of the border fence President Trump is planning to build on the U.S.-Mexico border. Following the declaration of a federal emergency, the Trump administration is also diverting US$3.6 billion from the Department of Defense budget for construction and military housing.

While the Department of Defense has approximately US$716 billion at its disposal for FY2019, construction and housing is a rather small budget item at US$10.5 billion. Trump’s demand exceeds the annual budget for Air Force construction and all family housing construction for Army, Navy and Air Force personnel, as seen in the graphic. Taking away US$3.6 billion would also be equal to halting for a year all DOD construction in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia combined.

The White House said that another US$2.5 billion for wall construction should be taken from the military’s anti-narcotics funding and that US$600 million should come out of the Treasury Forfeiture Fund, which is where money seized from criminal suspects is collected.