Department of Homeland Security Authorizes New Border Wall Construction

Waivers have been granted by the Department of Homeland Security for the new building of 36 miles of border wall infrastructure along the border between the United States and Mexico. In order to speed up the construction process, Secretary Kristi Noem issued the authority, which permits construction across several border patrol sectors while avoiding several federal environmental laws.

Along the southern border, the authorized construction includes three border patrol sectors and seven distinct projects:

El Paso Sector (New Mexico): The Santa Teresa Secondary Wall Project, which is about 7 miles long, the 16-4 Wall Project Anapra, which is about 1.3 miles long, and a smaller Wall Project & Port of Entry Gate, which is about 0.2 miles long and has an extra 40 feet of infrastructure, make up the New Mexico portion.

Yuma Sector (Arizona): The seven distinct holes in the current border infrastructure that the Barry M. Goldwater Range Wall Project will fill range in length from 40 to 240 feet.

Tucson Sector (Arizona): The Tucson Sonoita Project, the largest of the three projects proposed for the Tucson sector, will cover roughly 24.7 miles close to Lochiel in the San Rafael Valley, which is 25 miles east of Nogales. The Tucson 10-6 Project will also span nearly 2.1 miles, whereas the Tucson 10-4 Project will cover roughly 0.2 miles.

These new waivers add to past authorizations, including as those previously issued for California border wall construction. The National Environmental Policy Act, which normally mandates thorough environmental impact evaluations prior to significant government building projects, is one of the environmental laws that DHS is able to get around thanks to the regulatory waivers. U.S. Customs and Border Protection appropriations from Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021 are used to fund the projects.

Concerns have been raised by environmental groups regarding the construction's possible effects on natural migration routes and wildlife habitats. Wildlands Network's Myles Traphagen emphasized the biological importance of the San Rafael Valley region in particular, pointing out the high levels of wildlife activity recorded by trail camera surveillance. Environmentalists claim that the area is an important route for wildlife connection. The Wildlands Network said that in order to stop the authorized building projects, Congress would have to step in.

In order to improve border security operations, DHS officials have described these infrastructure improvements as crucial security measures intended to close current gaps in border barriers in the Yuma, Tucson, and El Paso sectors.