Government Watchdog: Trump's Border Wall Damaged Environment, Hurt Wildlife & Destroyed Indigenous Sacred Sites

Statement

"From the start, President Trump's border wall was nothing more than a symbolic message of hate, aimed at vilifying migrants and bolstering extreme MAGA rhetoric. This racist political stunt has been an ineffective waste of billions of American taxpayers' dollars--and now we know it has caused immeasurable, irreparable harm to our environment and cultural heritage as well.

So much damage has been done, but we still have the opportunity to keep it from getting worse. Environmental restoration and mitigation work must be led by science and input from the right stakeholders, including tribes and communities along the border. So many corners were cut in building the wall--let's not repeat history by cutting corners in repairing the damage it caused.

The report also makes clear that federal land management agencies, like the Interior Department and U.S. Forest Service, must be involved in environmental restoration and mitigation. These agencies have the utmost expertise and scientific knowledge of the borderlands. That's why I'm urging my fellow lawmakers to include funds for Interior and the Forest Service in the FY24 budget to make sure they have a strong leadership role going forward."

Source