Santa Cruz County, Arizona (Az Family) – A new boundary wall is set up for construction in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, with 27 miles planned through remote, ecologically sensitive areas.
Ministry of Homeland Security He was awarded Fisher Sand & Gravel, a North Dakota-based company. The project will pass through San Rafael Valley, the biodiversity area of ​​the Tucson Border Patrol sector known for its grasslands and rare wildlife.
Critics argue that the new stretches put more risks on vulnerable ecosystems and wildlife habitats.
“The Department of Homeland Security is competing to build a border wall in one of the last best wildlife areas remaining in Arizona’s borderland,” said Russ McSpaden. Center for Biodiversity. “This valley is a truly irreplaceable lifeline for endangered species like jaguars and ocelots.”
McSpadden said he was worried about the company behind the project.
“Fisher Sand & Gravel is a company with a long record of environmental and regulatory violations,” he said.
During the Trump administration, the company received more than $1 billion in federal contracts for the construction of the border wall. In 2019, the US government also sued Fisher for environmental violations tied to the private construction section of the Texas wall.
As part of his job documenting border zones to protect local ecosystems, McSpaden toured many areas where border walls were constructed during President Trump’s first term. He says what he saw showed a total lack of care.
“I’m really worried that this will look like that except for the San Rafael Valley,” McSpaden said.
Critics have also raised alarms about how the project is being tracked quickly. Records show that DHS bypasses the Environmental Review Act and uses national security as justification to waive numerous federal protections.
“All of these laws can be abandoned. It circumvents environmental laws designed to protect natural and cultural heritage sites,” McSpadden said.
However, the DHS defended the move, citing high levels of illegal crossing and frequent drug and human smuggling as the need for rapid construction.
Do you see spelling or grammatical errors in our stories? Please click here to report.
Are there any photos or videos of broken news stories? send Here to us With a brief explanation.
Copyright 2025 KTVK/KPHO. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.
