Trump’s border wall will take $102 million from Alaska military projects

President Donald Trump’s pursuit of a border wall with Mexico will take as much as $102 million from Alaska construction projects, according to a list published Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Defense.

The four Alaska projects — all in the Interior — are among 127 whose funding will be diverted under a national emergency declared by Trump in February.

That emergency declaration came after Congress refused to allocate money for 230 miles of border fencing demanded by the president. In response, the president said he would use authority that allows him to transfer money between military appropriations during a declared emergency.

[Related: Military base cuts affect schools, target ranges, more]

Though challenged, the president’s lawful ability to transfer money for the border wall was upheld.

The affected projects in Alaska include $75.4 million in work on power plant boilers at Eielson Air Force Base, $19 million for a firing range at the same base, and $8 million for work on the antiballistic missile launching facility at Fort Greely in Delta Junction.

In a written statement, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said the fund transfer is in the national interest and will not affect the planned deployment of F-35 fighters to Alaska or “the build out of America’s missile defense system in Alaska.”

“While I do not agree with the decision to defer any military construction in Alaska, it should be noted that the Democrats’ obstruction to fund much needed border security has forced the Trump administration to undertake these measures," Sullivan wrote.