Biden Administration Waives 26 Federal Laws for Construction of Border Wall in Texas

The Biden administration announced on Wednesday it would waive 26 federal laws in Starr County, Texas, in order to build "barriers and roads" along the border with Mexico.

The Department of Homeland Security claimed the measure was necessary to carry out its border security mission.

The department plans on installing "additional fencing, barriers, roads, lighting, cameras, and sensors on the southwest border" in the Rio Grande Valley Sector, an area of "high illegal entry."

For that, it needs to allow for "staging areas, the conduct of earthwork, excavation, fill, and site preparation." That's why federal laws such as the National Environment Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act were waived for an undetermined amount of time.

A Starr County judge told the Associated Press that locals are worried about how "highly erosive" the area is leading into the river, and they also share environmental activists' concerns with native species of plants and animals that will have their habitats endangered.

Border Patrol encountered over 245,000 immigrants attempting to enter the U.S. illegally in the entry points of the valley in the Fiscal Year 2023, according to the statement.

The new barriers and new equipment will be funded by a 2019 appropriation approved by Congress for border construction in that specific area, according to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

In January 2021, the Biden administration proclaimed the termination of border wall construction, saying that "building a massive wall that spans the entire southern border is not a serious policy solution," and calling it a "waste of money."