What is the current status of the US-Mexico border wall construction?
Executive summary
Construction of the U.S.–Mexico border wall is active but partial: federal agencies report a mix of completed legacy barriers, new “Smart Wall” contracts and ongoing construction in multiple sectors, while states and contractors also pursue separate projects; the program combines physical barriers with extensive detection technology rather than a continuous concrete wall along the entire 1,954‑mile border [1] [2]. Recent contract awards and state initiatives signal a major ramp-up in 2025–2026, but legal, environmental and local opposition persist and no source claims a finished end‑to‑end barrier [2] [3] [4] [5].
1. What already exists: legacy barriers and “completed” mileage
Federal reporting shows substantial pre‑2025 barrier mileage: CBP counts roughly 644 miles of primary wall and about 75 miles of secondary wall installed before January 20, 2025, and public trackers and analysts have previously tallied several hundred miles of various fences and vehicle barriers along the 1,954‑mile border [1] [6]. These figures reflect a patchwork of pedestrian fencing, vehicle barriers and replacement segments rather than a single uniform structure [6].
2. The federal “Smart Wall” program: contracts, scope and near‑term schedule
DHS and CBP have recast recent construction as a “Smart Wall” program combining new primary and secondary steel bollard barriers, waterborne barriers, patrol roads and integrated sensors; since late 2025 the agencies announced multiple contract awards — five contracts totaling $3.3 billion and other awards that bring total Smart Wall contract obligations into the billions — and federal officials expect field mobilization and construction activity to escalate into 2026 [2] [3] [7]. Independent reporting and advocacy groups summarize planned work as hundreds of additional miles — for example, DHS awarded contracts in 2025 that proponents say will add roughly 230 miles of barriers at a reported cost of about $4.5 billion, while some administration briefings and outlets describe program tallies that would eventually total well over a thousand miles of different barrier types when complete [8] [9].
3. Where construction is happening right now
Active building and contract awards span Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and portions of California; CBP’s Smart Wall map and agency releases list specific sectors and projects under construction or contract, and media reported a small new secondary wall project of roughly seven miles in New Mexico in mid‑2025 as part of closing “critical” gaps [1] [10]. Contract press releases identify projects in Del Rio, Laredo and other Texas sectors and show that some projects include waterborne barriers and detection technology as part of deliverables [2].
4. State and nonfederal activity: Texas and the Bootheel example
States and contractors are supplementing federal work: Texas’ border wall program reported dozens of completed miles and planned targets to reach roughly 85–100 miles of state‑funded wall by mid‑ to late‑2026, with active construction across multiple border counties and ongoing easement negotiations [4]. Separately, a high‑value federal contract to build roughly 49 miles in New Mexico’s Bootheel drew congressional criticism and local opposition, illustrating how federal projects intersect with regional politics and land‑access disputes [5].
5. Technology, cost, controversies and the outlook
The current approach emphasizes “smart” detection systems to supplement or replace barriers in remote or rugged segments: CBP says about 535 miles without barrier will instead receive detection technology owing to unfavorable terrain, and the agency is deploying technology alongside constructed barriers in many sectors [1]. Critics and advocates disagree on efficacy and cost: watchdogs and human‑rights groups flag environmental and legal waivers used to speed construction, while proponents stress operational needs and recent multibillion‑dollar contract awards that will sustain construction into 2026 and beyond [8] [2]. Multiple sources report concrete near‑term plans and mobilizations, but no authoritative source in the set establishes that a complete continuous wall is being built; instead, reporting shows an accelerating, multi‑layered program of physical barriers, waterborne defenses and sensors with geographic gaps, political pushback and long construction timetables remaining [2] [3] [1].