Environmental and Cultural Devastation: Trump's Border Wall Leaves a Trail of Destruction

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a report stating that the construction of barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border during the Trump administration caused "significant damage and destruction" to the environment and cultural sites. The wall's construction hampered the migration of endangered species, eroded federal lands, disrupted water flow, and irreparably damaged sacred tribal sites. The report also highlighted the replacement of existing barriers with narrower pedestrian barriers, obstructing wildlife passage. The construction has damaged native vegetation, affected drainage during heavy rain, and harmed historic and sacred sites. President Joe Biden's decision to halt the construction exacerbated the negative impacts. The GAO recommended that Customs and Border Protection work with the Interior Department to develop a strategy to mitigate the barriers' impacts on resources.