Homeland Security versus Environmental Conservation:along the Arizona-Mexico Border

"Herein lies the dilemma: How can policy makers balance the preservation of our nation’s natural treasures with the need to secure our southern border?[10] Even though security and conservation are not mutually exclusive, politicians often frame border security in all-or nothing terms, demanding nothing less than a completely sealed border.[11] But framing the issue in this manner is unhelpful because border security will always be imperfect."

"Even without McCain’s proposed legislation, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has already waived thirty-seven environmental protection laws—ranging from the Endangered Species Act to the Wilderness Act—to strengthen security along the border.[8] Meanwhile, environmentalists contend that this security-driven waiver authority undermines more than forty years of work to build important conservation laws and leaves citizens with no effective means to protest.[9]"

P.S. Much of the border in AZ, is along an Indian Reservation, just to make things more complex....