Biden administration waives 26 federal laws to allow border wall construction in South Texas

[SouthBayDem]

Source: AP

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration announced they waived 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow border wall construction on Wednesday, marking the administration’s first use of a sweeping executive power employed often during the Trump presidency.

The Department of Homeland Security posted the announcement on the U.S. Federal Registry with few details outlining the construction in Starr County, Texas, which is part of a busy Border Patrol sector seeing “high illegal entry.” According to government data, about 245,000 illegal entries have been recorded in this region during the current fiscal year.

“There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United States in order to prevent unlawful entries into the United States in the project areas,” Alejandro Mayorkas, the DHS secretary, stated in the notice.

The Clean Air Act, Safe Drinking Water Act and Endangered Species Act were some of the federal laws waived by DHS to make way for construction that will use funds from a congressional appropriation in 2019 for border wall construction. The waivers avoid time-consuming reviews and lawsuits challenging violation of environmental laws.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/border-wall-biden-immigration-texas-rio-grande-147d7ab497e6991e9ea929242f21ceb2

[LymphocyteLover]

1. Um, OK. Republicans should be happy at least.

[BWdem4life]

21. Please.

Republicans are never happy with anything Biden does. They'll find some fault or ignore it.

[LymphocyteLover]

26. Yeah, I know. But they SHOULD be happy...

[PlutosHeart]

2. Should have worked with the

environmental concerns.

[Ford_Prefect]

3. When exactly did the present administration come to the conclusion that a wall could work??????????

Fix the F*****G emigration system. When they start arriving in the 10's of thousands as they escape from environment change and political collapse that wall won't stop them.

The current wall system has already shown it cannot survive the environment it has been built on. It has been easily and frequently breached or overcome by those it is intended to stop. How does it make any kind of sense to continue building it???????

[Justice matters.]

17. How do you suggest a "fix" of the emigration system with the current chaos

in the house?

[Magoo48]

30. With only history as a reference,

Walls Don’t Work. Bad fucking idea.

[former9thward]

36. The last immigration bill was passed in 1986.

That was 37 years ago. I don't think we can blame the current House situation for non action for almost four decades.

[ShazzieB]

39. But the current House is certainly in no shape to do anything about it.

I think that's the point that was being made.

It's true that the GOP has blocked any meaningful immigration reform for years, but right now, they couldn't do anything about it if they wanted to.

[former9thward]

43. No matter what party controlled the House there has been non action on immigration.

It simply has not been a priority. The U.S. had a immigration program that worked from the early 40s to 1964 -- the guest worker Bracero program. Organized labor did not like it and it died that year. Since then we have had this problem.

[LymphocyteLover]

27. what are your suggestions for fixing the immigration system?

Seriously-- I'm curious what you think should be done

[OhioTim]

40. CNN Reported In September That Mexico Agreed

to detain migrants at their southern border and that US officials would be there to process them. This is how to stop the problem. Determine their status and those qualified to come to the US will be able to in a reasonable manner. Don't know what happened. Not a good look for Democrats.

[Cheezoholic]

4. Me thinks there's a pony in this trick somewhere

Not sure what it could be but wouldn't be surprised

[DENVERPOPS]

6. Agreed

the immigrants will just go through the border somewhere else.........

I would love to know how other civilized countries are dealing with the influx of immigrants coming across their borders........

Someone I was talking to the other day had a great idea concerning Abbott/DeSantis sending bus loads to cities like Los Angles.
Load the buses back up for the return to Texas or Florida, with the worst L.S. gang members........LOL

[OneCrazyDiamond]

34. At least one installed fencing

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/finland-starts-fence-russian-border-amid-migration-security-concerns-2023-04-14/

[oldmanlynn]

5. Building a wall could go along ways towRd uniting the country

It would not be the most ideal situation but might not hurt either while building some bridges to those that are against illegal migration

Guessing this is the angle.

[intelpug]

8. Building bridges

Shouldn't everybody be against ILLEGAL migration?

[Fiendish Thingy]

10. Shouldn't everybody be for LEGAL immigration?

Cause that’s what thousands of border crossers are trying to do - claim asylum legally.

[speak easy]

13. Shouldn't everybody be for LEGAL immigration? - Yes of couse.

But if you are a would be immigrant from Central America, looking to send home remittences, there are LEGAL ways to make application. Not all the ppl crossing the border are asylum seekers. I understand ppl wanting a better life, but poverty is not persecution under the refugee conventions.

[Polybius]

15. They are not going about it in a legal way

They are coming in droves like never before. We can no longer handle it.

[Deminpenn]

22. There are still plenty of help wanted signs out where

I live for jobs (retail, care-giving, landscaping, restaurants, construction) that, shall we say, "established" Americans simply don't want to do or think are beneath them that migrants are willing and able to do.

Migrants who are here and working are paying taxes and can be easily found through their employers if need be.

[WmChris]

33. Living wage

All those jobs Americans won't do all are so underpaid, overworked and/or unsafe. If the workers were treated like human beings and considered as assets rather than disposable pieces of equipment those jobs would be filled. Unionization would be a large step in the right direction, and yes I know that's a steep hill to climb.

[Deminpenn]

45. Even in my economically stagnant

county, retailers like Walmart and Aldi offer competitive wages and benefits. The local small business lawn service that I use also pays well enough to have many long term employees. Local home care companies are offering bonuses and increased wages trying to attract employees. The local Giant Eagle grocery is unionized. They are all hiring.

[Groundhawg]

32. The way I understand it is they aren't claiming asylum

Legally. These asylum seekers aren't from Mexico but from other places and legally are supposed to ask for asylum in the first country they come to.
Seems to me like Mexico should be doing more to accept asylum seekers.

[Fiendish Thingy]

37. The legality isn't crystal clear

Mexico isn’t an official “safe third country” although the Biden administration has attempted to put a rule in place rejecting asylum claims from anyone who hasn’t applied and been rejected by a country they passed through en route to the US.

It’s a mess.

[LymphocyteLover]

48. Indeed, it's a big mess

[MichMan]

44. Less than half of all asylum seekers are successful

Letting people come here who likely aren't eligible, allowing them stay for a couple years and get established while awaiting a hearing, and then telling those who are denied asylum that they have to leave and go back is cruel.

[Skittles]

20. WWJD?

conservatives are fucking HYPOCRITES - they call themselves CHRISTIAN and PRO-LIFE when they are NEITHER

[Skittles]

19. um...no

repukes are not happy unless they have someone to hate

[LymphocyteLover]

28. the wall is mostly built and is only a temporary barrier that can be breached easily

by those who to need to get across

[bahboo]

7. well...my initial reaction is what the fuck...

but I'll give this time to play out.

[cstanleytech]

9. The only border walls I could understand are ones that guide people safely to controlled and

monitored access points along the more dangerous remote areas where people are known to be dying.
After that the people should be processed and providing they are able bodied with no criminal record they should be granted at least temporary asylum while their cases are heard.

[LymphocyteLover]

29. isn't that more or less what we have now?

It's the very unscrupulous coyotes who try to sneak people across the severe desert areas; not sure how to control them

[cstanleytech]

46. Those routes are the ones that need to be secured with such methods.

Of course in my opinion people that are willing to risk their lives to come to our country should be welcomed as long as they are not major felons and will not be a burden and having young children does not imo qualify as a burden so families should be welcomed.

[LymphocyteLover]

47. Yes, I'm basically ok with that

[keopeli]

11. Mexico is doing more to deal with migrants on their side, even deport.

A wall, (short and purposefully done) that is strategically placed, can be effective, while allowing asylum-seekers more access. It's not perfect, but we are in a crisis, no thanks to TFG.

Mexico story: The Texas Tribune

[oldsoftie]

24. MEX was always known for having a pretty secure SOUTHERN border.

What happened with that? If people know they'll likely be stopped there, they may not make the trip. I know both Biden & Harris have said more than once "dont come" but thats not working

[Maraya1969]

12. Somehow the drug cartels need to be confronted, maybe with predator drones because they

are one of the reason so many are coming here. The money that would be saved by stopping these thugs should be used for treatment centers to help all the drug addicts here.

[Polybius]

16. 245,000 in one year

Biden did what had to be done.

[diva77]

18. Unfortunately this is disastrous for the environment. I hope this can be suspended

https://www.commondreams.org/news/biden-border-wall-waiver

'Horrific Step Backwards': Biden Admin Waives Protections to Speed Border Wall Construction

"Every acre of habitat left in the Rio Grande Valley is irreplaceable," said one advocate. "We can't afford to lose more of it to a useless, medieval wall."
Julia Conley Oct 04, 2023

Environmental protection advocates and immigrant rights campaigners expressed horror Wednesday over a Department of Homeland Security plan entered into the Federal Register that will waive more than two dozen laws in order to expedite the construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

The "notice of determination" was entered under Section 102 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigration Responsibility Act, which was signed by former President Bill Clinton in 1996, and said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas "has determined, pursuant to law, that it is necessary to waive certain laws, regulations, and other legal requirements."

The 26 laws—which include the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Conservation Act, and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act—are being set aside "to ensure the expeditious construction of barriers and roads in the vicinity of the international land border in Starr County, Texas," the Federal Register said.

The waiver will allow construction through the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge and could threaten endangered species including ocelots, as well as the plant species Zapata bladderpod and prostrate milkweed, said the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD).

SNIP

=============

[Deminpenn]

23. Sorry, but Mayorkas has been an unmitigated disaster as head

of DHS. Maybe he has a compelling life story and is a Latino, but that doesn't make him qualified for the DHS job.

[Bayard]

38. I am quite suprised and disappointed by this

Waiving the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Conservation Act, and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. These are critical protections that were hard won, and sacrosanct.

I agree with others that a wall is not much of an answer, and seems politically motivated.



An alligator-filled moat would be much more feasible, probably less expensive, and Abbott would love it.

[oldsoftie]

25. This HAD TO BE DONE. Its a MAJOR issue to most voters like it or not

When you've lost the Gov of NY & the Mayor of NYC, among others from smaller areas, you're losing to everyone.
If the Pres can show a drastic reduction in border crossings by next Nov, that issue could be taken away. But there has to be MAJOR action taken quickly. This has been a disaster for months. And unsustainable.

[Traildogbob]

31. I am good with a wall......

At northern Texas and Florida. They want to leave the country anyway. Make damn sure Gaetz and Cruz are home when it’s built.

[bluestarone]

35. I do not know anything about this problem. I DO trust Joe to

Do what needs to be done. The only problem i see is how the RETHUGS will go the I told you so route. Be ready!

[0rganism]

41. Bad idea IMHO, but there could be more to this than what's reported so far

If we wanted to catch and deport crossers with minimal environmental damage, the sensible way would be to use a combination of drone surveillance networks and increased CBP patrol routes. Build more roads as needed. Upgrade immigrant processing centers in northern Mexico to improve legitimate migration throughput. Work with Central American governments to identify and address causes of excess emigration. So many alternatives to a stupid wall.

I can't believe Biden et al don't see this, I think the wall thing has to be some kind of gambit with a follow-up in play. If not, this is an avoidable mistake that will cost us in 2024.

[0rganism]

42. Looks like there is indeed more to this

Apparently Biden admin following through with a 2019 Trump "policy" to be enacted by the end of 2023:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218332707