U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says construction tied to a $1.7 billion Big Bend Sector border security contract could begin as early as this summer. CBP is pressing on with the project after months of pressure from border residents, landowners, and environmental advocates who have protested at the Texas Capitol, saying federal plans for the Big Bend region and other Rio Grande communities have been unclear.
CBP awarded the contract May 11 to Southwest Valley Constructors Co. for about $1.72 billion. The project includes roughly 17 miles of vehicle barrier systems, including barriers, patrol roads, and surveillance technology, along with an additional 205 miles of patrol roads, cameras, sensors or a combination of those features, depending on location.
At a small rally Tuesday at the Texas Capitol, speakers urged state and federal officials to halt new border barrier construction. Protesters said the money should instead go toward water systems, health care, parks, public infrastructure, and other community needs in border regions.
Speakers said concerns extend beyond whether a wall would be built inside Big Bend National Park. They warned that roads, surveillance equipment, buoys, concertina wire and low-profile barriers could reshape riverfront communities, disrupt wildlife habitat, limit access to public lands and worsen flooding along the Rio Grande.
CBP said waterborne barriers in the Rio Grande are designed to withstand a 100-year flood event, including stronger currents and rising water levels. The agency said it conducts hydraulic and hydrologic analyses when construction is planned in floodplains and consults with the U.S. International Boundary and Water Commission to avoid altering the Rio Grande’s natural flow or significantly increasing flood risks into Mexico.
CBP said a “Smart Wall” with 30-foot barriers, cameras, detection technology, and new or improved roads is planned for the Sierra Blanca, Presidio, Marfa and Van Horn Border Patrol station areas. In other parts of the Big Bend Sector, the agency said it plans to rely on cameras, sensors, roads and limited low-profile post-on-rail barriers intended to restrict vehicle access while using the region’s rugged terrain as a natural deterrent.
CBP said it does not plan to build 30-foot barriers inside Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park or Black Gap Wildlife Management Area. The agency said smaller barriers could still be placed near those parks but said it is coordinating with park officials to avoid blocking recreational access.
The agency also acknowledged an issue with a May 15 federal waiver that allows DHS to bypass certain environmental and public lands laws to speed construction. CBP said the waiver contains a project-description error that will be corrected in a future Federal Register notice but did not specify what information needs to change.
CBP said construction will begin first in areas where real estate issues have already been resolved and said local Border Patrol officials are available to speak with landowners about access and operational concerns.