Biden administration waives 26 federal laws to build section of border wall

The administration on Wednesday announced the waivers to fast-track construction on about 20 miles of border wall in South Texas. The move contrasts with President Joe Biden’s earlier rhetoric on building border barriers—he said Thursday he had tried to stop the project and didn't think border walls worked. The DHS waived the Clean Air Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, and Endangered Species Act to avoid often drawn-out reviews and potential lawsuits. The barrier will be built in Starr County, which has seen rising numbers of illegal border crossings, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Officials will use funds from a 2019 congressional appropriation for border wall construction to complete the project.

Why is the administration speeding up the process? About 245,000 migrants have crossed into the United States illegally in the Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol sector this fiscal year. Starr County is one of 21 counties included in the sector. There is an “acute and immediate need” to construct barriers and roads at the border, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas wrote in a DHS notice about the construction.

Dig deeper: Read Addie Offereins’ report in Compassion about what is behind the latest border surge.