Opinion: Environmental laws should not be waived for border walls

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • July 1, 2026

West Texas may seem far from home here in Maine, but Homeland Security waiving 28 key environmental laws to expedite border wall construction in the Big Bend Region and ease the award of billions of tax dollars to private contractors should have everyone concerned. As a border state, Maine is similarly vulnerable to these environmental waivers, which can extend up to 100 miles from an international border. I was the archaeologist at Big Bend National Park until a few months ago and it is impossible to overstate how devastating these walls and other infrastructure will be to the culture and environment of this region. ~ Sarah Loftus, Hallowell