CBP is committed to building, operating, and maintaining TI in an environmentally responsible manner. Environmental planning helps CBP carry out this commitment. As a part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, CBP works in a collaborative manner with local government, State, Native American, and Federal land managers, as well as with the interested public, to identify, understand, and, to the extent possible, minimize impacts to the environment.

Given the importance of border infrastructure to securing the nation’s borders, as a part of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA), Congress gave the Secretary of DHS the authority to waive legal requirements that are an impediment to the expeditious construction of TI. Even in those instances where the Secretary utilized the waiver authority, however, DHS and CBP remained committed to responsible environmental planning and stewardship. For those projects that were the subject of the Secretary’s waiver authority, CBP prepared Environmental Stewardship Plans (ESPs), as appropriate, and worked collaboratively with State and Federal resources agencies, affected landowners, and other stakeholders to identify and minimize potential impacts.