TEXAS — U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told Spectrum News this week that a physical 30-foot border wall will not be constructed in the Big Bend parks region.
We first reported that government maps showed a wall barrier would be constructed in Big Bend. West Texas residents — made up of a bipartisan coalition of property owners, elected officials and regional residents — heavily protested the possibility of a border wall.
The Trump administration then changed course, telling local government leaders that smart technology would be erected rather than a wall.
Earlier this month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) awarded Southwest Valley Constructors Company a $1.7 billion contract for “construction task order for border wall in Big Bend, Texas.”
Spectrum News reached out to CBP for clarification on the contract language. In an email response, CBP wrote that the award will finance 17 miles of vehicle barrier systems. In strategic areas, cameras and an additional approximately 205 miles of sensors and post-on-rail barriers will be installed.
The email further clarified that any contracted construction “does not involve the construction of a 30-foot-high barrier in Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park or the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area.”
The contract states that construction is underway and is expected to be completed by December 2028.