The Biden administration has waived 26 environmental laws to speed the construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Texas. The waivers circumvent the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, among others. It’s the first time the Biden administration has used its authority under the REAL ID Act to waive environmental laws.

In a statement, the Center for Biological Diversity said, “Every acre of habitat left in the Rio Grande Valley is irreplaceable. We can’t afford to lose more of it to a useless, medieval wall that won’t do a thing to stop immigration or smuggling. President Biden’s cynical decision to destroy a wildlife refuge and seal the beautiful Rio Grande behind a grotesque border wall must be stopped.”