President Donald Trump signed the so-called "Big, Beautiful Bill" into law on the Fourth of July, bringing to a close a weekslong back and forth in Washington about the fate of the massive spending package.
The bill includes a historic sum of some $170 billion for immigration enforcement and border security.
That means additional money for construction along the border in Arizona and other states — the package puts more than $46 billion toward more wall projects. Another $15 billion will go toward Customs and Border Protection facilities and other initiatives.
The new money will add to existing funding already being used for border construction. Several weeks ago, the Trump administration announced plans to build a more than 20 mile stretch of wall across a biodiversity hot spot in the Arizona-Sonora borderlands called the San Rafael Valley.
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The Respect for Local Communities Act would require public comment and written approval from state and local officials where ICE facilities are planned. Congressional committees would also have to be notified. -
The around $21 million project aims to improve mobility, security and trade at the far west portion of the Arizona-Sonora border. -
A new collection of essays looks at the tortured relationship between the United States and its workers. It’s called “Capturing Labor,” and it’s co-edited by Texas State University professors Jessica Pliley and John Mckiernan-González. -
The expanded order requires services that transfer money abroad to report data about customers who make transactions over $1,000. -
The northward spread of parasite prompted the United States to close the border to cattle for the first time more than a year ago. The most recent closure has lasted since last summer.
