The Supreme Court cleared the way Monday for the Trump administration to resume border wall construction in the Big Bend region of Texas, a blow to bipartisan opponents who had argued the project is a waste of money that threatens the unique landscape.

The border wall is a signature project of President Donald Trump, who has long vowed to build a wall from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.

Republicans in Congress last summer funded the project with $46 billion, and Customs and Border Protection has been rapidly erecting 12 miles of border barriers a week across the entire border.

The government has pushed forward by issuing sweeping waivers to bypass regulations. Those rules are aimed at protecting the environment, but have historically slowed down major construction projects.