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By Valerie Gonzalez

The Associated Press

McALLEN, Texas 鈥� The Biden administration鈥檚 plan to build new barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border in South Texas calls for a 鈥渕ovable鈥� design that frustrates both environmentalists and advocates of stronger border enforcement.

The plans for nearly 20 miles in Starr County were made public in September when the federal government sought public input. The following month, the administration聽waived 26 federal laws聽protecting the environment and certain species to accelerate the construction process.

鈥淭he United States Border Patrol did not ask for this downgraded border wall,鈥� said Rodney Scott, a former U.S. Border Patrol chief.

Construction is moving forward despite President Joe Biden鈥檚 campaign promise to not build more wall. Meanwhile, increased numbers of migrants are coming to the nation鈥檚 southern border from across Latin America and聽other parts of the world聽to seek聽asylum. Illegal crossings聽topped 2 million聽for the second year in a row for the government鈥檚 budget year that ended Sept. 30.

People such as Scott who want more border security believe the barriers won鈥檛 be strong enough to stop people from crossing illegally. Environmentalists, meanwhile, say the design poses a greater risk to animal habitat than former President Donald Trump鈥檚 border wall.

Biden has聽defended the administration鈥檚 decision聽by saying he had to use the Trump-era funding for it. The law requires the funding for the new barriers to be used as approved and for construction to be completed in 2023.

Most barriers along the border were erected in the past 20 years under Trump and former President George W. Bush. Those sections of border wall include Normandy-style fencing that resembles big X鈥檚 and bollard-style fencing made of upright steel posts.

Biden鈥檚 barrier will be much shorter than the 18-foot-to-30-foot, concrete-filled steel bollard panels of Trump鈥檚 wall. It also could be temporary.

An example of the style of barrier Biden鈥檚 administration will use can be seen in Brownsville, about 100 miles southeast of Starr County. Metal bollards embedded into 4-foot-high cement blocks that taper toward the top sit along the southern part of a neighborhood not far from the curving Rio Grande.

Over the past year, the Rio Grande Valley region was the fourth-busiest area for the number of people crossing into the U.S. illegally, though it was the busiest in previous years.

With the design planned for Starr County, federal border agents will be able to move around the fencing, said U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democrat who represents Starr County. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 one of those things where if they want to direct traffic, they can move it.鈥�

Scott agreed that the 鈥渕ovable鈥� fences can be used as an emergency stopgap measure to block off access in some areas. But he warned that if the fencing isn鈥檛 placed far enough into the ground, someone might be able to use a vehicle to shove it out of the way, though the vehicle would likely sustain damage.

Laiken Jordahl, a conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, said mountain lions, bobcats, javelinas, coyotes, white-tail deer, armadillos, jackrabbits, ground squirrels, and two endangered, federally protected plants 鈥� Zapata bladderpod and prostrate milkweed 鈥� may be affected.

The wall as designed 鈥渨ill block even the smallest species of animals from passing through the barrier,鈥� Jordahl said.

鈥淭he one advantage for making it shorter is, I guess if somebody falls while they鈥檙e climbing over it, they aren鈥檛 falling as far,鈥� said Scott Nicol, a board member of Friends of the Wildlife Corridor.

Nicol, who lives in the Rio Grande Valley, is familiar with the type of barriers Biden鈥檚 administration will use, the terrain, and the weather in Starr County. He is concerned about unintended consequences, particularly those that could affect the Rio Grande that separates U.S. and Mexico.

鈥淵ou know, if Starr County gets hit by a big rainstorm and the water has to drain into the river, these walls 鈥� whether it鈥檚 the bollard walls or the Jersey barrier walls 鈥� are going to block the movement of that water and dam it up,鈥� Nicol said.

Last month, the Center for Biological Diversity and about 100 other organizations sent the U.S. government a letter pleading for reconsideration of environmental protection laws. To date, they have not received an answer.