DHS Issues First Waiver to Speed Up Border Wall Construction

It would allow for 2.5 miles of border barrier construction outside of San Diego.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (2nd R) during a tour along the Nogales border wall at the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales, Ariz., on March 15, 2025. Alex Brandon/AFP via Getty Images

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has issued a waiver for border wall construction in southern California between the United States and Mexico.

The waiver, issued on April 8, is the first of the current administration. It will allow for 2.5 miles of border barrier construction outside of San Diego.