Construction is expected to begin this month in portions of the Big Bend National Park Sector, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it will install what it calls a “Smart Wall,” combining steel barriers with cameras, sensors, and improved road access in selected areas, the Washington Examiner reported.
By Catholics for Catholics
The border wall with Mexico, one of President Donald Trump’s most controversial projects during his first term in office, is being rekindled as it starts construction in West Texas with 30-foot barriers, roads, vehicle obstacles and the latest surveillance technology.
Construction is expected to begin this month in portions of the Big Bend National Park Sector, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it will install what it calls a “Smart Wall,” combining steel barriers with cameras, sensors, and improved road access in selected areas, the Washington Examiner reported.
The agency said barrier construction is anticipated in the Marfa and Van Horn regions while relying mostly on technology and natural terrain in other parts of the sector, according to a story by Newsmax.
CBP said it is considering security needs while preserving the area’s unique landscape.
“CBP is not planning to construct a 30-foot-high barrier in Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, or the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area,” the agency said, adding that it will coordinate with park officials and use existing roads whenever possible.
The border wall project multiplies on the roughly 450 miles of border wall built during Trump’s first administration, a cornerstone of his immigration agenda aimed at curbing illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
The announcement comes after months of debate over how best to secure one of the nation’s most remote border regions.
Still, some local landowners, conservation groups, and even Republican officials in the region have questioned the necessity for more physical barriers, contending that the rugged terrain already stops illegal crossings and that surveillance technology would be sufficient.
Charlie Angell, a Redford, Texas, landowner and river guide, told the Examiner the proposed alignment could cut through his property and restrict access to the Rio Grande.
“My home, it’s my retirement, it’s my backyard,” Angell said, expressing concern about losing river access and the impact on his business.
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