The Trump administration has given United States Customs and Border Protection the green light to move forward with border wall projects in South Texas.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem instructed CBP to bypass environmental regulations and immediately begin building five miles of barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border, CBP announced Tuesday.
Noem issued a waiver, including against the National Environmental Policy Act, for the federal government to begin construction of 30-foot slatted walls without waiting for typical administrative approvals. The waiver was issued under Section 102 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.
Since President Donald Trump took office in January, Noem has waived environmental barriers seven times to expedite wall construction.
This latest project brings the total number of construction projects underway to 100 miles across the 1,950-mile border. The Trump administration completed about 450 miles of the wall during his first term.
This new project will be built in Starr and Hidalgo Counties, located in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. It is being funded by money that Congress allocated in fiscal 2019.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill,” signed into law earlier this year, included more than $46 billion in funding for the border wall, roads, lighting, technology, and more.
TRUMP DOT TO PUNISH STATES THAT DO NOT ENFORCE ENGLISH REQUIREMENTS FOR TRUCK DRIVERS
Vice President JD Vance wants Trump’s second term to end with a border wall that extends the full length of the 2,000-mile southern border.
“The president’s hope is that by the end of the term, we build the entire border wall,” Vance said during a March trip to the U.S.-Mexico border.