Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday issued what is likely to be the first of many waivers to speed up the building of additional miles of the border wall between Mexico and the U.S. along the California border.

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border. The order cited increased “chaos and suffering” inflicted on American citizens and authorized the military and the Department of Homeland Security to “take all appropriate action” to obtain “full operational control of the southern border.”

“To cut through bureaucratic delays, DHS is waiving environmental laws — including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) — that can stall vital projects for months or even years. This waiver clears the path for the rapid deployment of physical barriers where they are needed most, reinforcing our commitment to national security and the rule of law,” DHS said in a statement.

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