DHS Waives Environmental Laws To Fast-Track Border Wall Through Texas Wildlife Refuge

DHS, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, invoked its waiver authority to bypass the Endangered Species Act, NEPA, the Clean Water Act, the Migratory Bird Conservation Act and other laws to expedite border wall construction across 13 tracts of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Starr County, Texas. Officials cite prior appropriations and claims of high illegal entry, while recent CBP data show declines in encounters. Conservation groups warn of harm to endangered species, flood risks in the Rio Grande floodplain, and potential conflicts with a 1970 U.S.-Mexico treaty. The move fits a broader 2025 pattern of waiver-driven wall projects targeting federal lands to avoid private land condemnation delays.