[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 3, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23535-23537]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-10043]
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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 in
the state of Arizona.
DATES: This determination takes effect on June 3, 2025.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Important mission requirements of the
Department 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, section 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
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terrorism, narcotics, and other contraband. Id. Consistent with that
mandate, the President's Executive Order on Securing Our Borders
directs that I take all appropriate action to deploy and construct
physical barriers to ensure complete operational control of the
southern border of the United States. Executive Order 14165, section 3
(Jan. 20, 2025).
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 found at 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, section 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, section
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 Yuma Sector is an area of high
illegal entry. In fiscal year 2024 the United States Border Patrol
(``Border Patrol'') apprehended over 53,000 illegal aliens attempting
to enter the United States between border crossings in the Yuma Sector.
In that same time period, Border Patrol seized over 30 pounds of
marijuana, over 300 pounds of cocaine, over 10 pounds of heroin, over
300 pounds of methamphetamine, and 470 pounds of fentanyl.
Owing to the high levels of illegal entry within the Yuma Sector, I
must use my authority under section 102 of IIRIRA to install additional
barriers and roads in the Yuma Sector. Therefore, DHS will take
immediate action to construct additional barriers and roads in a
segment of the border in the Yuma Sector. The segment where such
construction will occur is referred to herein as the ``project area,''
which is more specifically described in Section 2 below.
Section 2
I determine that the following area in the vicinity of the United
States border, located in the State of Arizona within the U. S. Border
Patrol Yuma Sector, is an area of high illegal entry (the ``project
area''):
Starting at Border Monument 203 and extending south and
east to Border Monument 191.
There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct
additional 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 area pursuant to section 102(a) of IIRIRA. In
order to ensure the expeditious construction of additional physical
barriers and roads in the project area, 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 physical
barriers and roads (including, but not limited to, accessing the
project areas, creating and using staging areas, the conduct of
earthwork, excavation, fill, and site preparation, drainage and erosion
control, and installation and upkeep of physical barriers and roads),
in the project area, 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 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 (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, as amended, repealed, or replaced by Pub. L. 113-287 (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. and 16 U.S.C. 431a et seq., now codified at 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. 320301-320303 & 320101-320106); 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 Administrative Procedure
Act (5 U.S.C. 551 et seq.); Section 438 of the Energy Independence and
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 17094); the National Fish and Wildlife Act of
1956 (Pub. L. 84-1024 (16 U.S.C. 742a, et seq.)); the Fish and Wildlife
Coordination Act (Pub. L. 73-121 (16 U.S.C. 661 et seq.)); the Federal
Land Policy and Management Act (Pub L. 94-579 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et
seq.)); the Wild Horse and Burro Act (16 U.S.C. 1331 et seq.); the
Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-65, 113 Stat. 885
(Oct. 5, 1999)); and the Sikes Act (16 U.S.C. 670 et seq.).
This waiver does not revoke or supersede any other waiver
determination made pursuant to section 102(c) of IIRIRA. Such waivers
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
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be necessary under section 102 of IIRIRA.
Kristi Noem,
Secretary of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2025-10043 Filed 6-2-25; 8:45 am]
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