The US government is set to convene a panel nicknamed "God Squad" to review the Endangered Species Act to override endangered species protections in the Gulf of Mexico, arguing that national security is more important than preventing the extinction of several imperiled species, including sea turtles and a whale species down to its last 51 individuals. The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block the meeting, but the Trump administration denied it. The committee, known as God Squad, has only been able to lift restrictions twice in its nearly half-century history. Experts say increasing oil production in the area would not immediately benefit national security but align with President Donald Trump's administration's call for increased production. The Committee also skipped several usual steps in the process.