Latest news with #SanRafaelValley
E&E News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- E&E News
Greens sue Trump admin over border wall waivers
Environmental groups sued the Trump administration Wednesday over the use of environmental waivers to accelerate border wall construction, saying the move lacks constitutional authority and would cause permanent damage to endangered species' habitat. The planned 27 miles of new border wall would slice through the San Rafael Valley in Arizona, an ecological hot spot and habitat for jaguars that migrate from Mexico, as well as other animals. The lawsuit — filed in the U.S. District Court in Tucson against the Department of Homeland Security, its Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Customs and Border Protection — says the administration is bypassing environmental laws in favor of fast-tracking the wall's construction. 'The Trump administration is unconstitutionally running roughshod over our bedrock environmental protections to build his cruel, senseless border wall,' Jean Su, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity representing the case, said in a news release. 'Trump's dangerous obsession with walls and militarization will slash a permanent scar across one of the most biodiverse regions on the continent.' Advertisement In June, Noem issued environmental waivers allowing the DHS to bypass the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act and Clean Water Act.
E&E News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- E&E News
Enviros warn fast-tracked border wall would devastate jaguars
New border wall construction in southwest Arizona could fracture key habitat for jaguars and other endangered species, says a report released Monday. The San Rafael Valley, a grassland basin in Arizona's southern borderlands, is a vital wildlife corridor for the elusive jaguar, according to the analysis by the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group. The valley is also the prime location targeted by the Trump administration for accelerated build-out of new sections of wall, which are meant to keep undocumented immigrants from crossing into the United States from Mexico. In June, the Department of Homeland Security awarded a $309 million contract to Fisher Sand & Gravel to build 27 miles of border wall near Tucson. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem issued three environmental waivers to hasten construction, allowing the projects to bypass laws like the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act. Advertisement DHS said in a news release that projects done under waivers are 'critical steps' to secure the southern border.
