The Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Endangered Species Act were among the federal laws waived by DHS to make way for construction that will use funds from an appropriation of the Congress in 2019 for the construction of the border wall. Exemptions avoid time-consuming reviews and lawsuits challenging violations of environmental laws.
Starr County’s hilly ranches, located between Zapata and McAllen, Texas, are home to about 65,000 sparsely populated residents of about 1,200 square miles (3,108 square kilometers) that are part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge.
Although no maps were provided in the ad, a previous map shared during the gathering of public comments shows that the gradual construction will add an additional 20 miles to the existing border barrier system in the area. Starr County Judge Eloy Vera said it will start south of Falcon Dam and go through Salineño, Texas.
“The other concern we have is that the area is highly erosive. There are a lot of streams,” said Eloy Vera, the county judge, who pointed to the streams that run through the ranch and lead to the river.
The concern is shared by environmental advocates who say the structures will encroach on public land, habitats for endangered plants and species such as the spotted wildcat Ocelot.
“A plan to build a wall will cut through an impermeable barrier right into the heart of this habitat. It will stop wildlife migrations dead in their tracks. It will destroy a huge amount of wildlife refuge land. And it’s a horrible step backwards for in border areas,” Laiken Jordahl, southwest conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, said Wednesday afternoon.
During the Trump administration, roughly 450 miles of barriers were built along the southwest border between 2017 and January 2021. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott renewed those efforts after the Biden administration halted them early in his presidency.
Wednesday’s DHS decision contrasts the Biden administration’s stance when a proclamation to finish construction on January 20, 2021, he declared that “building a massive wall spanning the entire southern border is not a serious political solution.”
US Customs and Border Protection had no immediate comment.
The announcement sparked a political debate by the Democratic administration amid a surge in migrants crossing the southern border in recent months, including thousands who entered the US through Eagle Pass at the end of September.
“A border wall is a 14th century solution to a 21st century problem. It will not strengthen border security in Starr County,” Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) said in a statement. “I continue to oppose the waste of taxpayer dollars on an ineffective border wall.”
Political proponents of the border wall said the waivers should be used as a launching pad for policy change.
“After years of denying that a border wall and other physical barriers are effective, the DHS announcement represents a sea change in the administration’s thinking: A secure wall is an effective tool for maintaining control of our borders “, Dan Stein, president of the Federation. for American immigration reform, he said in a statement. “Once this concession is made, the administration must immediately begin construction of a wall across the border to prevent illegal traffic from simply moving to other areas of the border.”
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