The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a waiver Jan. 23 to expedite barrier construction in a 20-mile stretch near the Santa Teresa, N.M., port of entry in the Border Patrol’s El Paso Sector.
“To begin to meet the need for additional border infrastructure in this area, DHS will replace legacy vehicle barrier that no longer meets the Border Patrol’s operation needs with new bollard wall,” the DHS announcement said. “The El Paso Sector remains an area of high illegal entry. In fiscal year 2016 alone, the United States Border Patrol apprehended over 25,000 illegal aliens and seized approximately 67,000 pounds of marijuana and approximately 157 pounds of cocaine in the El Paso Sector.”
The waiver excludes DHS from complying with certain laws in the execution of its projects, but DHS vowed commitment to the environment.
“DHS has been coordinating and consulting, and intends to continue doing so, with other federal and state resource agencies to ensure that impacts to the environment, wildlife, and cultural and historic artifacts are analyzed and minimized, to the extent possible,” according to the DHS release.
The department noted its commitment to President Trump’s Executive Order 13767 that calls for border security improvements, including building a southern border wall.
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