Kristi Noem issued the department’s first waiver since taking office in January.

[noumoe]

The Department of Homeland Security gave U.S. Customs and Border Protection permission to ignore environmental and land regulations and immediately begin constructing a border wall between the United States and Mexico in Southern California, the Washington Examiner confirmed.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem issued the department’s first waiver since taking office in January. The waiver allows the federal government to bypass environmental rules to build 2.5 miles of barrier in Jacumba Hot Springs and San Diego, California — regions that experienced high levels of illegal immigration during the Biden administration.

“Acting under President Trump’s Executive Orders, Secretary Noem is taking bold, decisive steps to secure the southern border and achieve full operational control,” the DHS said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “To cut through bureaucratic delays, DHS is waiving environmental laws — including the National Environmental Policy Act — that can stall vital projects for months or even years.”

The Federal Register published the waiver Tuesday, which allows the government to quickly construct physical barriers where they are needed most rather than wait for studies to ensure the land will not be negatively affected, according to the DHS.

Noem cited her authority under Section 102 of the Illegal Immigration Reform And Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to waive the regulations.

https://t.co/9cUY3ewdHL