DHS waiver expedites border fence replacement

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said a recently granted waiver ensures construction and replacement of a section of California secondary wall near the international border.

The waiver for the 12.5 miles of coverage stems from authority granted to the Secretary of Homeland Security by Congress, providing the office with a number of authorities necessary to carry out DHS’s border security mission. One of the authorities is found in section 102 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA).

The provision also stipulates the Secretary of Homeland Security is allowed to take such actions as may be necessary to install additional physical walls and roads near the U.S. border to deter illegal crossings in areas of high illegal entry into the United States. Section 102(b) of IIRIRA outlines how Congress calls for the installation of additional fencing, walls, roads, lighting, cameras, and sensors on the southwest border.

Officials said the scope of work encompasses a 14-mile bollard style wall initiative in San Diego awarded by the Army Corps of Engineers in December 2018, including an area that begins near the eastern end of Border Field State Park and extends east to where the existing primary pedestrian fence ends.