GreenLatinos Denounces Disastrous Decision to Waive Environmental, Climate & Human Rights Protections to Continue Trump Border Wall Construction

WASHINGTON — Yesterday, October 4th, 2023, President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced they would take “immediate action” to speed border wall construction, bypassing protections for all borderland ecosystems and wildlife, including protections for endangered species, clean water, and sacred indigenous sites.

Following the discovery of this extreme measure by the Biden Administration's Department of Homeland Security, GreenLatinos' Founding President & CEO, Mark Magaña, released the following statement:

“Today, our community is left reeling over the unconscionable decision from President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and the DHS executive team. We’re appalled that our comunidad and madre tierra were cast aside to continue constructing the Trump border wall.

We stood firm when the Trump Administration first proposed to construct additional, unnecessary border walls between the United States and Mexico. We defended our people, their community, and the surrounding majestic lands that exist in the southern border region. Today, with a different administration, we unexpectedly find ourselves needing to again take a stand in defense of our people and our land. We do not forget that in 2020, Joe Biden campaigned on not building another foot of Trump’s border wall.

This disastrous decision not only continues a legacy of xenophobia and racism left by the previous administration but is also a slap in the face to Latino/a/e communities who live, work, and play in the southern border region. By moving forward with this new order, this administration makes it loud and clear that they intend to propagate the continued marginalization of our people but also discard the hard work our ancestors have done as devoted stewards of the lands they call home.

Make no mistake. We will stand firm against this decision and call for an immediate reversal of this decision. We will tirelessly stand up against all those who seek to divide us with  destructive border walls rather than unite us - and continue to defend our families, children, health, land, waters, and environment from further degradation.”

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GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) is an active comunidad of Latino/a/e leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.