Trump Criticizes Biden Border Wall Sales as Endangered Fish Face Extinction

TUCSON, Ariz. — President-elect Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of the Biden administration for selling border wall materials at “five cents on the dollar,” calling the move either unpatriotic or foolish. Meanwhile, a newly constructed segment of the border wall in southern Arizona is threatening the survival of the endangered Sonora chub, a rare desert fish, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

The organization warns that the wall and an accompanying paved road across California Gulch are blocking critical streamflow, pushing the Sonora chub to the brink of extinction. “The new wall and road will push these imperiled fish to the brink of extinction,” said Krista Kemppinen, Ph.D., a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity.

The Sonora chub, a small, reddish-bellied fish, relies on scarce desert water on both sides of the border and genetic exchange with populations in Mexico. The construction disrupts these essential processes, Kemppinen explained. “The new construction makes all that impossible,” she said.

The Center for Biological Diversity is urging federal officials to designate California Gulch as critical habitat and install culverts to restore natural streamflow. “If federal officials are serious about saving this fish, they need to act now,” Kemppinen emphasized.

Trump’s criticism of the Biden administration’s border policies comes as environmentalists brace for potential new construction under his second term. During his first presidency, Trump oversaw the construction of over 450 miles of border wall, which fragmented ecosystems and severed wildlife corridors. A recent study by the Wildlands Network and Sky Islands Alliance revealed an 86% decrease in wildlife crossings and a 100% reduction in crossings for large animals like bears and jaguars in Arizona.

“It’s an absolute travesty and a disaster for border wildlife,” said Margaret Wilder, a human-environment geographer at the University of Arizona. She highlighted the decades of binational cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico to protect the region’s biodiversity, which the wall has undermined.

Trump has vowed to resume border wall construction, criticizing the Biden administration’s auctioning of materials as “almost a criminal act.” However, precise plans for new construction remain unclear. “No one has any idea what the hell is about to happen,” said Laiken Jordahl, a conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity.

The border wall has been a contentious issue, with both Democratic and Republican administrations contributing to its expansion. The Obama administration built over 100 miles of wall, and Biden resumed construction in 2023 after failing to redirect funds appropriated for the project. According to Customs and Border Protection, 119 of 163 planned gap closures and gate projects have been completed since 2021, with 57 miles of new barriers planned to start in early 2025.

Environmentalists warn that further construction could devastate the region’s wildlife, including the elusive jaguar, which has recently been spotted in the U.S. after being hunted to extinction in the 1960s. “More [wall] would definitely cut off jaguars from crossing into the U.S. in the last corridors it has from Sonora to Arizona,” said Emily Burns of the Sky Island Alliance.

As Trump prepares to retake office, concerns grow over the environmental and human costs of continued border militarization. “The border wall is an engine of death,” said Ricky Garza of the Southern Border Communities Coalition, noting that the wall has pushed migrants into more dangerous terrain, making the southern border the deadliest land crossing in the world.