Washington, DC — In response to today’s announcement by the Department of Homeland Security to waive environmental laws for border wall construction in Texas, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and Chispa released the following statements:

“We have long opposed the construction of this inhumane wall, and its massive environmental costs are at odds with protecting our communities from the climate crisis, extreme weather, pollution, and environmental injustice,” said LCV Vice President for Federal Policy Matthew Davis. “DHS waiving critical environmental laws intended to protect people, water, land, and endangered species will only continue to harm communities on both sides of the border already experiencing the devastating impacts of the climate crisis. Any and all Congressional mandates to continue this misguided border wall project must be repealed, and the protections of our environmental laws must be enforced.”

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“There’s no question that this decision to waive these critical environmental laws will harm our comunidades,” said Chispa National Director Estefany Carrasco-Gonzalez. “While DHS is claiming the need for a border wall is for ‘high illegal entry’, they have already spent enormous resources to use inhumane methods against migrants and refugees at the border, create miles of fencing, border patrol agents, concertina wire, in addition to the U.S. and Mexican troops stationed there. Congress must defund this harmful border wall and ensure respect for our comunidades as well as our environmental laws.”

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