A federal judge on Monday ruled that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under the previous administration violated law by failing to properly examine environmental impacts of construction of his stupid and racist border fencing, as well as other increased border militarization measures. The ruling stems from a 2017 lawsuit filed by Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva and the Center for Biological Diversity, which celebrated the ruling in a statement. 

“This is a win for wildlife and communities along the border, where the government has behaved as if the laws don’t apply,” endangered species legal director Brian Segee said. “This victory follows years of federal officials neglecting the environment and the health and wellbeing of borderland communities.”

“Today’s ruling says federal officials broke the law by failing to prepare an updated in-depth environmental impact statement for the U.S.-Mexico border enforcement program,” which included  wall construction and increased enforcement, the Center for Biological Diversity said. But the previous administration “argued that there had been no changes in the border enforcement program.” The judge disagreed with that blatantly false claim, noting “examples of expanding federal action in the form of border-enforcement activity.”

“The National Environmental Policy Act requires that federal agencies conduct an environmental review of a major federal action or program that significantly affects the quality of the human environment,” the Center for Biological Diversity said. But under a provision enacted by Congress nearly two decades ago, the previous administration simply waived those requirements. “The Trump administration ramped up wall construction by waiving dozens of laws protecting the environment, public health and safety.”

Still, the ruling was not a total win for advocates. “The judge, however, declined the plaintiffs’ request for an order to produce a more comprehensive environmental analysis now, reasoning that the activities had not produced ‘demonstrated adverse environmental impacts,’” Reuters reported.

I mean, the previous administration was only rushing to blow up “pristine mountains and bulldozing access roads” ahead of President Joe Biden’s inauguration, knowing full well it wouldn’t have time to complete construction. The New York Times last year also noted that anyone cutting down the beautiful saguaro cactus could face prison time. “But over the past several weeks, work crews have been destroying dozens of the protected cactuses, which can live for 200 years, to build a new wall on the southwestern border,” the report said. 

“We’re disappointed the court stopped short of ordering a new environmental impact statement, but we hope the Biden administration takes a long overdue look at the wanton environmental destruction from border militarization,” Segee continued.

The ruling came as a portion of the previous president’s fencing was left in shambles following monsoon flooding along the Arizona-Mexico border. “Trump’s brand new $15 billion #BorderWall is being ripped apart by monsoon floods,” tweeted Center for Biological Diversity borderland campaigner Laiken Jordahl. “This is what happens when @DHSgov waives all environmental laws & ignores basic science to put up a political prop.”