The southwest border wall construction, which began during President Donald Trump’s first term and was halted during the Biden administration, is being expanded once again thanks to funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill.
And this Smart Wall expansion is “high-tech,” adding 230 miles of barriers and nearly 400 miles of technology along the U.S.-Mexico border. According to a news release, 10 new construction contracts totaling $4.5 billion were awarded in September 2025.
The Biden administration actively worked to dismantle the wall and tried to auction off the materials.
But under Trump, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection have been given the resources and funding to continue the high-tech barrier designed to keep out illegal migrants and drugs trafficked by cartels.
“For years, Washington talked about border security but failed to deliver. This President changed that,” said CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott. “The Smart Wall means more miles of barriers, more technology, and more capability for our agents on the ground. This is how you take control of the border.”
The announcement follows CBP’s preliminary enforcement numbers for September 2025 and historic lows for Fiscal Year 2025. CBP reported 237,565 Southwest border apprehensions, closing out Fiscal Year 2025 with the lowest U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions since 1970.
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks shared a news clip on social media Friday, highlighting the achievement:
“We have come a long way from seeing thousands of illegal crossings a day, but we will not stop until we have full operational control of the border. That means no one crosses undetected. If they do get across, they are processed and returned to their home country or a country that will accept them.”
Lowest number of illegal crossings since 1970!
We have come a long way from seeing thousands of illegal crossings a day, but we will not stop until we have full operational control of the border. That means no one crosses undetected. If they do get across, they are processed and… pic.twitter.com/bPCTqe68jn
— Chief Michael W. Banks (@USBPChief) October 10, 2025
Banks reshared another X post from CBP, and the agency said the work is the same at the northern and southern borders.
“The same resolve applied at our southern border is fully engaged on the northern front. No border is too quiet to be exploited, and no smuggler too sophisticated to escape CBP’s watch. CBP is fulfilling our mandate to defend the homeland by enforcing strong border policies and holding traffickers accountable.”
Resuming work on the wall is another way the Trump administration is delivering on a campaign promise to secure the border and stop Biden-era policies that encouraged mass illegal immigration.
The Smart Wall is a border security system that combines steel barriers, waterborne barriers, patrol roads, lights, cameras, and advanced detection technology to give Border Patrol agents the best tools in the world to stop illegal traffic, according to a news release.
CBP officials said technology additions will help secure existing wall in areas where the Biden administration policies cancelled contracts to do so.
The 10 contracts were awarded Sept. 15-30 — the very first to be funded by President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. They include minimal prior year funding from Fiscal Year 2021 wall appropriations, funding which was on hold during the Biden administration.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem also issued two new waivers for roughly nine miles of Smart Wall in the Border Patrol’s San Diego Sector and around 30 miles of new Smart Wall located in New Mexico within the El Paso Sector.
The contracts include money for both new Smart Wall construction as well as technology “system attributes” across the southern border, from the San Diego area to the Rio Grand Valley Sector in Texas.
The first 10 contracts awarded in September include:
- San Diego 1 Project – BCCG Joint Venture for $483.5 million for the construction of approximately nine miles of new Smart Wall and approximately 52 miles of system attributes in USBP’s San Diego Sector in California.
- El Centro 1 Project – Fisher Sand & Gravel Co. for $574 million for the construction of approximately eight miles of new primary Smart Wall and the installation of approximately 63 miles of system attributes in USBP’s El Centro and San Diego Sectors in California.
- Yuma 1 Project – Barnard Spencer Joint Venture for $199.5 million for the construction of approximately 60 miles of system attributes in USBP’s Yuma Sector in Arizona and California.
- Tucson 1 Project – BCCG a Joint Venture for $607 million for the construction of approximately 23 miles of new secondary border wall and approximately 66 miles of system attributes in USBP’s Tucson and Yuma Sectors in Arizona.
- El Paso 1 Project – BCCG a Joint Venture for $155 million for the replacement of approximately seven miles of old barrier in the Santa Teresa Area of Responsibility with new Smart Wall and the completion of approximately 22 miles of system attributes in USBP’s El Paso Sector in New Mexico.
- El Paso 2 Project – Barnard Spencer Joint Venture for $578 million for the construction of approximately 23 miles of new Smart Wall and approximately 81 miles of system attributes in USBP’s El Paso Sector in New Mexico.
- El Paso 3 Project – BCCG Joint Venture for $850 million for the construction of approximately 42 miles of new primary Smart Wall, approximately 6 miles of new secondary border wall and completion of approximately 46 miles of system attributes in USBP’s El Paso Sector in Texas.
- Del Rio 1 Project – BCCG Joint Venture for $565 million for the construction of approximately 22 miles of new primary Smart Wall (which includes replacing approximately two miles of old barrier) and deployment of approximately 40 miles of waterborne barrier system in USBP’s Del Rio Sector, in the Eagle Pass Area of Responsibility, in Texas.
- Del Rio 2 Project – BCCG Joint Venture for $364.3 million for the construction of approximately 10 miles of new primary Smart Wall, approximately 23 miles of waterborne barrier system, and installation of approximately 10 miles of system attributes in USBP’s Del Rio Sector, in the Eagle Pass South Area of Responsibility, in Texas.
- Rio Grande Valley Waterborne Barrier Project – BCCG Joint Venture for $96 million for approximately 17 miles of waterborne barrier in the Rio Grande River, south of Brownsville in Cameron County within USBP’s Rio Grande Valley Sector in Texas.
CBP has also awarded various support contracts totaling more than $550 million, funded by OBBB, that will support the construction of Smart Wall, and will continue to award additional Smart Wall contracts.
Visit CBP’s Smart Wall webpage for more details on where CBP will be constructing Smart Wall.
