The Trump administration is rapidly expanding border wall construction at roughly three miles per week, with $46.5 billion in funding and $22 billion in construction contracts already issued. The project targets ecologically sensitive areas including Big Bend National Park in Texas, national wildlife refuges, and habitat for 93 threatened and endangered species. Using waivers under the 2005 REAL ID Act, the Department of Homeland Security has exempted the wall construction from the Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act, and other environmental protections, with no environmental impact studies, public comment periods, or legal oversight required.