It was reported in an article published earlier today by the Washington Post that the National Park Service has found that up to 22 archaeological sites could be damaged or destroyed in the construction of the border fence. The sites are a part of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona and were highlighted in an internal NPS report obtained by the paper:

"The administration’s plan to convert an existing five-foot-high vehicle barrier into a 30-foot steel edifice could pose irreparable harm to unexcavated remnants of ancient Sonoran Desert peoples. Experts identified these risks as U.S. Customs and Border Protection seeks to fast-track the pace of construction to meet Trump’s campaign pledge of completing 500 miles of barrier by next year’s election.

Unlike concerns about the barrier project that have come from private landowners, churches, communities and advocacy groups, these new warnings about potential destruction of historic sites come from within the government itself."

New construction with the monument began last month, and a number of laws, including the National Historic Preservation Act, have been waived to build the wall near national parklands in Arizona. 

Read the full article for the Washington Post here.