$ 1 billion fund for US-Mexico border wall

Question: Which among the following has authorized the transfer of fund worth $ 1 billion for the US-Mexico border wall?
(a) World Bank
(b) Pentagon
(c) Senate
(d) International Monetary Fund
Answer: (b)
Related facts:

  • The Pentagon has notified Congress for the transfer of USD 1 billion authorized by them for building 57-mile (91 km) fence at the southern U.S. border with Mexico.
  • The funds are the first under the national emergency which was declared by President Donald Trump on 15 February after Congress refused his requests for $5.7bn (£4.4bn) to construct the wall bypassing Congress. Opposition Party Democrats have protested against the move.
  • President Trump has called the situation at the southern border a crisis. He held the view of constructing a physical barrier to stop criminals, illegal migrants and drug traffickers crossing into the US.

US-Mexico Border Wall:

  • The US-Mexico border is 1,954 miles (3,145km) long and crosses vast deserts and mountains in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. About 654 miles of that have some sort of manmade barrier, such as fencing or a wall mostly built after 2006.
  • President Trump argues $5.7bn (£4.5bn) in addition to the $1.7bn already allocated for the construction of wall. Congress has so far approved $1.7bn in funding for 124 miles of new and replacement barrier since Trump became President.
  • Around 66,000 people were detained for illegally border crossing in February 2019, the highest of a decade.

Links:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47702152
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46824649
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/15/trump-mexico-border-wall-status-migrants