The Center for Biological Diversity sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Homelend Security on Wednesday asking them to keep environmental protection laws in place in Starr County.

The letter asks DHS to rescind more than two dozen waivers of federal laws — including the endangered species act — that allows for more border wall construction.

“We are urging them to either reroute or cancel this construction project,” Laiken Jordahl with the Center for Biological Diversity said.

The Trump administration-era waivers make room for a border wall, and a road next to it. 

The advocates hope the project doesn't move forward at all.

One of the main concerns with the construction is the population of the endangered zapata bladderpod plant. 

“If they want to carry forward with this project, do so under the guidance of the endangered species act, and make sure that this rare wildflower is protected,” Jordahl said.

The plant grows in Starr County, and the road that Border Patrol would be using as part of the border wall project cuts right through its habitat.

Valley environmentalist Jim Chapman said the plant is only found in Starr and Zapata counties.

“When they counted, there was something like 760 of those plants that still exist,” Chapman said. “This road would destroy 89 % of them.”

Advocates hope that the road gets rerouted to lessen the impact to the zapata bladderpods.