Mexican wolf news
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Trump signed an executive order to remove endangered species protection for grey and Mexican wolves.
The order could reverse decades of recovery work and shift wolf management to states.
Background
Mexican wolves, a subspecies of grey wolf, were nearly driven to extinction by persecution and predator-control programs. In 1998, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began reintroducing them to Arizona and New Mexico, starting with just four wolves. By 2025, the wild population in the U.S. had grown to 319. The executive order, signed on September 4, 2026, directs the Interior Department to consider delisting or downlisting both grey and Mexican wolves under the Endangered Species Act, and encourages states to remove their own protections.
How it unfolded
- 1998Mexican wolves were reintroduced to Arizona and New Mexico, starting with just four wolves.
- 2025The wild Mexican wolf population in the U.S. reached 319, up from four in 1998.
- Sep 4, 2026Trump signed an executive order directing the administration to begin delisting or downlisting grey and Mexican wolves, and to encourage states to do the same.
Who’s saying what
- Support
- Keith Mark of Hunter Nation called the recovery a success story and said the order returns wildlife management to states and local people.
- Caution
- Claire Musser of the Grand Canyon Wolf Recovery Project said weakening federal protections now would put decades of recovery work at risk.
- Analysts
- Wolf advocates saw the order partly as an attempt to pacify ranchers hurt by Trump's tariffs, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Still unverified
The text of the executive order has not yet been made public; details are based on reporting and remarks at the White House event.