Legal News

Dept. of Homeland Security to waive 33 laws for border fence

By Jason Siegel

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security waived 33 laws so it can finish the 267 miles of fencing on the U.S.-Mexico border, CBS 8 reported. (WATCH)

Sidestepping environmental laws and other federal, state and local laws and regulations allows the second half of the 670 mile fence to be built in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, avoiding debate and litigation, KPBS reports.

Critics told KPBS that the waiver is unconstitutional and claim the fence puts 85 endangered plant and animal species at further risk.

"It's dangerous, it's arrogant, it's going to have pronounced environmental impacts and it won't do a thing to address the problems of undocumented immigrants or address border security problems," Defenders of Wildlife attorney Brian Segee told the Los Angeles Times. "It's an incredibly simplistic and ineffective approach to complex problems."

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on April 02, 2008 (boomark / email).