US President Joe Biden’s administration is to build a section of border wall in southern Texas in an effort to stop rising levels of immigration.
Around 32kms will be built in Starr County along its border with Mexico, where officials report high numbers of crossings.
Building a border wall was a signature policy of Donald Trump as president and fiercely opposed by Democrats.
In 2020, President Biden promised he would not build another foot of wall if elected.
His administration passed a proclamation soon after taking office that said building a wall across the southern border “is not a serious policy solution”.
In a statement to Associated News on Wednesday night, the US Customs and Border Protection defended the latest move, saying it was using funds already allocated for a border barrier.
The rising number of illegal border crossings has made the issue a vulnerable one for the president.
More than 245,000 crossings have been made this year in the Rio Grande Valley area alone, government data shows, and September is expected to be a record month.
Several US cities say they are feeling the strain of the influx.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams predicted the cost of housing the more than 100,000 new arrivals since last year will rise to $12bn over the next three years.
President Biden’s secretary of homeland security referred to an “acute and immediate need” to build the new section of wall and prevent unlawful entries.