Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday issued what is likely to be the first of many waivers to speed up the building of additional miles of the border wall between Mexico and the U.S. along the California border.
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border. The order cited increased "chaos and suffering" inflicted on American citizens and authorized the military and the Department of Homeland Security to "take all appropriate action" to obtain "full operational control of the southern border."
"To cut through bureaucratic delays, DHS is waiving environmental laws — including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) — that can stall vital projects for months or even years. 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," DHS said in a statement.
Cameron Walkup, associate legislative representative for the environmental group Earthjustice, condemned the administration's actions.
"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," Walkup and the group wrote in a response to Noem's waiver.
The group cited tribal land usage and local community objections to the wall, adding, "Rather than rushing to spend tens of billions of dollars to help President Trump build even more wasteful border wall through a budget reconciliation package, Congress should focus on rescinding these waivers and remediating the significant damage that has already been caused by the wall."
The border wall was a much promised yet underdelivered aspect of Trump's first term in office. Vice President J.D. Vance said last month the administration's goal is to see it completed by the end of his current term. Trump and his Cabinet officials have noted that the wall is only one facet of a secure border that includes drones, artificial intelligence and deportations.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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