Overview

• Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem issued a Sept. 23 waiver to expedite construction in the San Diego sector, citing the need to install additional barriers and roads.
• Plans call for 7.6 miles of 30-foot primary barrier west of Tecate, 1.3 miles east of Tecate, and a 0.84-mile secondary 30-foot barrier near Otay Mesa with anti-climb features and automated vehicle gates.
• The waiver suspends more than 30 laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act, under Section 102 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act.
• Funding comes from H.R. 1, which provides Customs and Border Protection $46.5 billion through fiscal 2029, and the project also adds or maintains 51.5 miles of lighting, cameras, utility shelters, and patrol and access roads.
• CBP says the buildout fulfills the administration’s border security mandate, while the Center for Biological Diversity opposes the move and may sue, noting the sector recorded 715 encounters last month, a 95% drop from August 2024.