Lclaa Deeply Disappointed by Biden’s Administration Decision to Extend Border Wall

The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) is deeply disappointed by the Biden Administration’s decision to allow for construction extending the border wall. On Thursday, the Biden Administration announced that it would waive key environmental laws such as the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act to extend the wall in Starr County, Texas. With this, the  Administration also announced that they would resume direct deportation for individuals from Venezuela who do not qualify for U.S. protection. 

This decision is at odds with President Biden's prior criticism of the Trump Administration's expenditure on the Border Wall. One of his initial actions as president was to halt the allocation of emergency funds for border wall construction. It's worth noting this decision comes shortly after the recent announcement by the Administration to extend and redesignate the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuela.

 LCLAA calls for bipartisan solutions that will remedy the issues in our immigration system while providing migrants a safe and sustainable legal pathway to fully contribute to our economy. 

 Jose Vargas, Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement on the decision,  “The Biden Administration has made several decisions to make our immigration system more fair and more just, but this action undermines that progress. To support and guide a policy that will threaten the safety of hundreds of individuals to fruition is a governmental failure. It is a waste of resources and time that could be spent creating sustainable and just reform.”