[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 94 (Wednesday, May 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21801-21803]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-10078]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Office of the Secretary


Determination Pursuant to Section 102 of the Illegal Immigration 
Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, as Amended

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION: Notice of determination.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Homeland Security has determined, pursuant to 
law, that it is necessary to waive certain laws, regulations, and other 
legal requirements in order to ensure the expeditious construction of 
barriers and roads in the vicinity of the international land border 
near Tecate and Calexico, California.

DATES: This determination takes effect on May 15, 2019.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Important mission requirements of the 
Department

[[Page 21802]]

of Homeland Security (``DHS'') include border security and the 
detection and prevention of illegal entry into the United States. 
Border security is critical to the nation's national security. 
Recognizing the critical importance of border security, Congress has 
mandated DHS to achieve and maintain operational control of the 
international land border. Secure Fence Act of 2006, Public Law 109-
367, 2, 120 Stat. 2638 (Oct. 26, 2006) (8 U.S.C. 1701 note). Congress 
defined ``operational control'' as the prevention of all unlawful 
entries into the United States, including entries by terrorists, other 
unlawful aliens, instruments of terrorism, narcotics, and other 
contraband. Id. Consistent with that mandate from Congress, the 
President's Executive Order on Border Security and Immigration 
Enforcement Improvements directed executive departments and agencies to 
deploy all lawful means to secure the southern border. Executive Order 
13767, Sec.  1. In order to achieve that end, the President directed, 
among other things, that I take immediate steps to prevent all unlawful 
entries into the United States, including the immediate construction of 
physical infrastructure to prevent illegal entry. Executive Order 
13767, Sec.  4(a).
    Congress has provided to the Secretary of Homeland Security a 
number of authorities necessary to carry out DHS's border security 
mission. One of those authorities is section 102 of the Illegal 
Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, as amended 
(``IIRIRA''). Public Law 104-208, Div. C, 110 Stat. 3009-546, 3009-554 
(Sept. 30, 1996) (8 U.S.C 1103 note), as amended by the REAL ID Act of 
2005, Public Law 109-13, Div. B, 119 Stat. 231, 302, 306 (May 11, 2005) 
(8 U.S.C. 1103 note), as amended by the Secure Fence Act of 2006, 
Public Law 109-367, 3, 120 Stat. 2638 (Oct. 26, 2006) (8 U.S.C. 1103 
note), as amended by the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations 
Act, 2008, Public Law 110-161, Div. E, Title V, Sec.  564, 121 Stat. 
2090 (Dec. 26, 2007). In section 102(a) of IIRIRA, Congress provided 
that the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take such actions as may 
be necessary to install additional physical barriers and roads 
(including the removal of obstacles to detection of illegal entrants) 
in the vicinity of the United States border to deter illegal crossings 
in areas of high illegal entry into the United States. In section 
102(b) of IIRIRA, Congress mandated the installation of additional 
fencing, barriers, roads, lighting, cameras, and sensors on the 
southwest border. Finally, in section 102(c) of IIRIRA, Congress 
granted to the Secretary of Homeland Security the authority to waive 
all legal requirements that I, in my sole discretion, determine 
necessary to ensure the expeditious construction of barriers and roads 
authorized by section 102 of IIRIRA.

Determination and Waiver

Section 1

    The United States Border Patrol's (Border Patrol) San Diego and El 
Centro Sectors are areas of high illegal entry. In fiscal year 2018 
alone, the Border Patrol apprehended over 38,000 illegal aliens 
attempting to enter the United States between border crossings in the 
San Diego Sector. In that same year, the Border Patrol had over 500 
separate drug-related events between border crossings in the San Diego 
Sector, through which it seized approximately 8,700 pounds of 
marijuana, approximately 1,800 pounds of cocaine, over 175 pounds of 
heroin, and over 5,100 pounds of methamphetamine. In fiscal year 2018, 
the Border Patrol apprehended over 29,000 illegal aliens attempting to 
enter the United States between border crossings in the El Centro 
Sector. Also in fiscal year 2018, the Border Patrol had approximately 
200 separate drug-related events between border crossings in the El 
Centro Sector, through which it seized over 620 pounds of marijuana, 
over 165 pounds of cocaine, over 56 pounds of heroin, and over 1,600 
pounds of methamphetamine.
    Due to the high levels of illegal entry within the San Diego and El 
Centro Sectors, I must use my authority under section 102 of IIRIRA to 
install additional physical barriers and roads in the San Diego and El 
Centro Sectors. Therefore, DHS will take immediate action to replace 
existing barriers in the San Diego and El Centro Sectors. The segments 
of the border within which such construction will occur are referred to 
herein as the ``project areas'' and are more specifically described in 
Section 2 below. Congress provided funding for these projects in the 
Fiscal Year 2018 DHS Appropriations Act, Public Law 115-141, Division 
F, Title II, Sec.  230.
    The replacement of primary fencing within the project areas will 
further the Border Patrol's ability to deter and prevent illegal 
crossings. The existing barriers were constructed between the early-to-
mid 1990s and mid-to-late 2000s. The existing barriers will be replaced 
with 18 to 30 foot barriers that employ a more operationally effective 
design that is intended to meet the Border Patrol's operational 
requirements. In addition, DHS will, where necessary, make improvements 
to existing roads within the project areas.

Section 2

    I determine that the following areas in the vicinity of the United 
States border, located in the State of California within the Border 
Patrol's San Diego and El Centro Sectors, are areas of high illegal 
entry (the ``project areas''):
     Within the San Diego Sector, starting approximately one 
mile west of Border Monument 245 and extending east to approximately 
one mile east of Border Monument 243;
     Within the El Centro Sector, starting approximately one 
and one-half (1.5) miles west of Border Monument 223 and extending east 
approximately eight miles; and
     Within the El Centro Sector, starting at Border Monument 
221 and extending east to Border Monument 219.
    There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct 
physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the border of the United 
States in order to prevent unlawful entries into the United States in 
the project areas pursuant to sections 102(a) and 102(b) of IIRIRA. In 
order to ensure the expeditious construction of the barriers and roads 
in the project areas, I have determined that it is necessary that I 
exercise the authority that is vested in me by section 102(c) of 
IIRIRA.
    Accordingly, pursuant to section 102(c) of IIRIRA, I hereby waive 
in their entirety, with respect to the construction of roads and 
physical barriers (including, but not limited to, accessing the project 
areas, creating and using staging areas, the conduct of earthwork, 
excavation, fill, and site preparation, and installation and upkeep of 
physical barriers, roads, supporting elements, drainage, erosion 
controls, safety features, lighting, cameras, and sensors) in the 
project areas, all of the following statutes, including all federal, 
state, or other laws, regulations, and legal requirements of, deriving 
from, or related to the subject of, the following statutes, as amended:
    The National Environmental Policy Act (Pub. L. 91-190, 83 Stat. 852 
(Jan. 1, 1970) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.)); the Endangered Species Act 
(Pub. L. 93-205, 87 Stat. 884 (Dec. 28, 1973) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.)); the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly referred to 
as the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.)); the National Historic 
Preservation Act (Pub. L. 89-665, 80 Stat. 915 (Oct. 15, 1966), as 
amended, repealed, or replaced by Pub. L. 113-287 (Dec. 19, 2014) 
(formerly

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codified at 16 U.S.C. 470 et seq., now codified at 54 U.S.C. 100101 
note and 54 U.S.C. 300101 et seq.)); the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 
U.S.C. 703 et seq.); the Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 715 
et seq.); the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.); the Archeological 
Resources Protection Act (Pub. L. 96-95, 93 Stat. 721 (Oct. 31, 1979) 
(16 U.S.C. 470aa et seq.)); the Paleontological Resources Preservation 
Act (16 U.S.C. 470aaa et seq.); the Federal Cave Resources Protection 
Act of 1988 (16 U.S.C. 4301 et seq.); the National Trails System Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1241 et seq.); the Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. 300f 
et seq.); the Noise Control Act (42 U.S.C. 4901 et seq.); the Solid 
Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and 
Recovery Act (42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.); the Comprehensive Environmental 
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (42 U.S.C. 9601 et seq.); the 
Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act (Pub. L. 86-523, 74 Stat. 
220 (June 27, 1960) as amended, repealed, or replaced by Pub. L. 113-
287, 128 Stat. 3094 (Dec. 19, 2014) (formerly codified at 16 U.S.C. 469 
et seq., now codified at 54 U.S.C. 312502 et seq.)); the Antiquities 
Act (formerly codified at 16 U.S.C. 431 et seq., now codified 54 U.S.C. 
320301 et seq.); the Historic Sites, Buildings, and Antiquities Act 
(formerly codified at 16 U.S.C. 461 et seq., now codified at 54 U.S.C. 
3201-320303 & 320101-320106); the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (Pub. L. 
90-542 (16 U.S.C. 1281 et seq.)); the Farmland Protection Policy Act (7 
U.S.C. 4201 et seq.); the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (Pub. 
L. 94-579, 90 Stat. 2743 (Oct. 21, 1976) (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.)); 
National Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 (Pub. L. 84-1024, 70 Stat. 1119 
(Aug. 8, 1956) (16 U.S.C. 742a, et seq.)); the Fish and Wildlife 
Coordination Act (Pub. L. 73-121, 48 Stat. 401 (March 10, 1934) (16 
U.S.C. 661 et seq.)); the Wild Horse and Burro Act (16 U.S.C. 1331 et 
seq.); the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 551 et seq.); the 
Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 (33 U.S.C. 403); the Eagle Protection 
Act (16 U.S.C. 668 et seq.); the Native American Graves Protection and 
Repatriation Act (25 U.S.C. 3001 et seq.); the American Indian 
Religious Freedom Act (42 U.S.C. 1996); and 43 U.S.C. 387.
    This waiver does not revoke or supersede the previous waivers 
published in the Federal Register on April 8, 2008 (73 FR 19078), and 
on September 12, 2017 (82 FR 42829), which shall remain in full force 
and effect in accordance with their terms. I reserve the authority to 
execute further waivers from time to time as I may determine to be 
necessary under section 102 of IIRIRA.

Kevin K. McAleenan,
Acting Secretary of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2019-10078 Filed 5-14-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9111-14-P