The Donald Trump administration is pushing forward with the construction of new sections of the border wall along the southern regions of Arizona and New Mexico.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem approved the construction and waivers that allow bypassing environmental laws for the new 36 miles of border wall, announced U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in a press release on Thursday.
These new waivers add to a waiver signed by Noem for border wall construction in California.
Secretary Noem’s waivers allow DHS to exempt itself from complying with environmental laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, to expedite construction.
DHS states that these projects are “critical steps to secure the southern border and reinforce our commitment to border security.”
Credit: Alex Brandon | AP
The list of border wall construction projects under these waivers includes three in the El Paso sector, one in the Yuma sector, and three in Tucson.
Funding comes from CBP allocations for fiscal years 2020 and 2021.
President Donald Trump pushed for border wall construction during his first term, promising to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and that Mexico would pay for it.
Mexico did not pay for it. Approximately 500 miles of border wall were built during his first term.
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