Biden administration backtracks and clears way for new border wall by waiving environmental laws

The Biden administration has paved the way for construction of a new wall along the southern border in Texas by waiving more than a dozen federal laws, in a marked shift from its previous stance on the physical barrier.

The Department of Homeland Security announced the plan to bypass lengthy environmental reviews to speed up border wall construction in Starr County, Texas, as the administration struggles to manage an ongoing immigration crisis that has strained local and federal resources. .

According to authorities, the area where construction is planned has experienced a “high illegal entry.”

“There is currently an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the United States border to prevent illegal entries into the United States in the project areas,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a notice. published in the US Federal Register

The Democratic administration is picking up where former President Donald Trump left off.

One of Trump’s biggest campaign promises was to build a wall along the US-Mexico border and his administration built around 450 miles of border barriers between 2017 and January 2021.

The Department of Homeland Security announced the plan to bypass lengthy environmental reviews to speed up border wall construction in Starr County, TXNYPJ. According to authorities, the area where construction is planned has experienced “high illegal entry.” NYPJ The administration has struggled to manage an ongoing immigration crisis that has strained local and federal resources. James Keivom

DHS’s decision to build more walls contradicts Biden’s earlier promise to end construction.

“Building a massive wall spanning the entire southern border is not a serious political solution,” Biden said in a proclamation to halt construction on Jan. 20, 2021.

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection argued that the planned construction, which could add up to 20 miles of barriers to the area’s existing wall, does not violate Biden’s proclamation.

“Congress appropriated fiscal year 2019 funds for construction of the border barrier in the Rio Grande Valley, and DHS must use those funds for their assigned purpose,” CBP said in a statement.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection argued that the planned construction, which could add up to 20 miles of barriers to the area’s existing wall, does not violate Biden’s proclamation. Getty Images “Congress appropriated fiscal year 2019 funds for construction of the border barrier in the Rio Grande Valley, and DHS must use those funds for their assigned purpose,” CBP said in a statement. James Keivom One of Trump’s biggest campaign promises was to build a wall along the US-Mexico border, and his administration built about 450 miles of border barriers between 2017 and January 2021. AP

“CBP remains committed to protecting the nation’s cultural and natural resources and will implement sound environmental practices as part of the project covered by this waiver.”

Laws that DHS waived include the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act, and several environmental advocates have expressed concern.

“A plan to build a wall will tear down an impermeable barrier right through the heart of that habitat,” Laiken Jordahl, southwest conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity, said Wednesday. “It will stop wildlife migrations in their tracks. It will destroy a huge amount of wildlife refuge land. And it is a terrible step backwards for the border areas.”

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Laws that DHS waived include the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act, and several environmental advocates have expressed concern. NYPJ Three buses full of migrants arrive at the Port Authority bus terminal after traveling from Texas, Wednesday, October 4. Seth Gottfried

Some Democrats also denounced the plans.

“A border wall is a 14th century solution to a 21st century problem. It will not strengthen border security in Starr County,” Rep. Henry Cuellar said in a statement. “I continue to oppose the waste of taxpayer money on an ineffective border wall.”

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Source: vtt.edu.vn

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