The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Friday it canceled two contracts for construction on the U.S.-Mexico border.
The department “intends to cancel the remaining border barrier contracts located within U.S. Border Patrol’s (USBP) Laredo Sector and all border barrier contracts located in the Rio Grande Valley Sector,” DHS said in a press release.
The border wall project was initiated under the Trump administration.
DHS said the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will begin environmental planning and actions consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for previously planned border barrier system projects located within the Rio Grande Valley, Laredo, and El Centro Sectors.
The department said that the environmental planning activities include additional biological, cultural, and natural resource surveys for project areas where no data have been previously collected will cover projects funded with DHS’s Fiscal Year 2018-2021 barrier system appropriations where construction had not started.
CBP will also conduct comprehensive and targeted outreach with interested stakeholders, including impacted landowners, tribes, state and local elected officials, and federal agencies.
These activities will not involve any construction of a new border barrier or permanent land acquisition, DHS said.
“The administration also continues to call on Congress to cancel remaining border wall funding and instead fund smarter border security measures, like border technology and modernization of land ports of entry, that are proven to be more effective at improving safety and security at the border,” DHS said.
“Until and unless Congress cancels those funds, the law requires DHS to use the funds consistent with their appropriated purpose, and beginning environmental planning activities is part of the Department’s plan to do so, “ it added.
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