1. United States
2. Ariz.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to oppose the construction of a secondary 30-foot border wall through Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. Secretary Kristi Noem has issued waivers to bypass environmental laws for this project, despite border crossings in the southwest dropping nearly 93% between 2024 and 2025. This construction is unnecessary and would cause irreversible damage to protected lands that belong to all Americans. The proposed wall would directly threaten A'al Vaipia, also known as Quitobaquito, a perennial spring that is the sole water source for the endangered Quitobaquito pupfish and Sonoyta mud turtle. Destroying this spring would violate the Endangered Species Act and eliminate critical habitat for species found nowhere else on Earth. A'al Vaipia also holds sacred significance for the Tohono O'odham people and is a historic site along traditional trading and travel routes. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument protects the northernmost population of organ pipe cacti in the biodiverse Sonoran Desert. Both the monument and Cabeza Prieta NWR provide habitat for the endangered Sonoran pronghorn and other species that depend on these designated wilderness areas. While no contract has been awarded yet for Organ Pipe, DHS has already contracted the Tucson 1 Project to begin construction in Cabeza Prieta NWR with plans to build eastward toward the monument. These protected lands were set aside for conservation and should remain preserved for future generations. Waiving environmental laws to build unnecessary infrastructure through wilderness areas and endangered species habitat sets a dangerous precedent. I ask you to take action to stop this secondary border wall construction and protect these irreplaceable public lands.