A waiver issued Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security allows the federal government to bypass environmental regulations and begin construction to add more barriers along the U.S-Mexico border in Southern California even as illegal crossings have plummeted.
Homeland Security said in a statement that the waiver signed by Secretary Kristi Noem will “cut through bureaucratic delays.” Environmentalists decried the move that will forego dozens of laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to evaluate the effects of their actions on the environment.
It's the first environmental waiver of President Donald Trump's second term. Officials said the decision will fast-track U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s construction of about 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) of the wall about 70 miles (113 kilometers) southeast of San Diego near Jacumba Hot Springs, California.
The area has calmed this year after thousands of migrants made their way through a small passage where the border fence ends. Those numbers sharply dropped last year after Mexican authorities increased enforcement and President Joe Biden introduced severe asylum restrictions in June.
Arrests sank even further after Trump was sworn in on Jan. 20 and issued a slew of orders on immigration.
“This waiver clears the path for the rapid deployment of physical barriers where they are needed most, reinforcing our commitment to national security and the rule of law," the statement said.
The advocacy group Earthjustice derided the decision to sidestep environmental laws and called it a waste of money that will only do more damage to the area's ecosystem, which encompasses a biodiversity hotspot with scores of endemic plants.
“Waiving environmental, cultural preservation, and good governance laws that protect clean air and clean water, safeguard precious cultural resources, and preserve vibrant ecosystems and biodiversity will only cause further harm to border communities and ecosystems,” Cameron Walkup, an associate legislative representative for Earthjustice, said in a statement.
Securing the southern border is a top priority for the Trump administration. U.S. Border Patrol Deputy Chief David BeMiller said Tuesday that more than 50 miles (81 kilometers) of permanent and temporary sections of the wall have been constructed since Trump was inaugurated Jan. 20. The goal is to complete about 1,400 miles (2,250 kilometers) of uninterrupted border barrier.
BeMiller estimated that officers were arresting about 220 people a day for illegal crossings from Mexico.
