How many miles of new barrier were built under the Trump administration and how did Biden change construction priorities after taking office?
Executive summary
Estimates vary because agencies and reporters count “new” wall differently: Customs and Border Protection reported roughly 452–453 miles of border barrier work completed by January 2021, but independent counts that distinguish truly new primary barrier from replacement or secondary fencing put new primary barrier at roughly 15–80 miles and new primary+secondary new barrier at about 52–80 miles (CBP/press reports summarized by BBC, PolitiFact and KHOU) [1] [2] [3] [4]. After taking office, President Biden halted broad Trump-era construction on day one, then curtailed and re-prioritized projects — but later allowed limited new sections using previously appropriated funds and, in 2023, waived laws to permit about 20 miles of construction in South Texas — reflecting a change from mass construction to selective, legally constrained projects [5] [6] [7].
1. Counting the wall: why the totals disagree
Different tallies reflect different definitions. CBP and DHS issued milestone statements celebrating “nearly 400,” “450,” or 452–453 miles of border barrier system work completed under Trump — figures that aggregate new primary wall, replacements of older fencing, and secondary barriers and system attributes like roads and cameras [8] [9] [1] [4]. Independent news outlets and fact-checkers point out that only a small fraction of that total was built where no prior barrier existed: BBC reported as few as 15 miles of new primary barrier in untouched locations, while PolitiFact and other summaries place genuinely new primary barrier at roughly 52 miles and note much of the 452–453 miles were replacements [2] [3] [1].
2. Trump’s claimed accomplishment vs. independent counts
The Trump administration framed its work as “new border wall system” and at times touted “nearly 500 miles” or 450 miles completed, language reflected in White House and DHS releases [10] [9]. Reporters and fact-checkers emphasize that this rhetoric conflated replacement and upgrade work with construction on previously unbarriered stretches; fact-checkers and the BBC underscored that most miles were replacement or reinforcement rather than entirely new barrier across open border [3] [2] [1].
3. Biden’s first actions: a formal pause and re-prioritization
On his first day in office, President Biden issued a proclamation pausing border wall construction “to the extent permitted by law,” signaling a policy reversal from the Trump approach; DHS and CBP activity and use of funds were subsequently subject to legal and administrative review [5] [6]. The administration sold some materials and halted broad construction, which critics called inconsistent when later limited projects were permitted; the government defended pauses as legally and operationally necessary [11] [5].
4. Limited construction under Biden and legal constraints
Although Biden halted mass construction, his administration later authorized targeted construction using funds that Congress had appropriated earlier and that DHS said it was required to use for barrier projects. In October 2023 DHS waived dozens of federal environmental and construction laws to allow about 20 miles of new construction in South Texas, a move the White House described as constrained by previously appropriated 2019 funds [7] [12] [13]. FactCheck and BBC reported Biden saying he “can’t stop” some construction because the funding was already appropriated [14] [13].
5. How priorities changed in practice
Under Trump the stated priority was large-scale physical barrier construction and upgrades across many sectors, often coupled with aggressive use of emergency authorities and reprogramming of funds to speed projects [8] [10]. Under Biden the declared priority shifted: stop broad construction, review projects legally and environmentally, and use barrier funding more selectively; yet practical constraints (existing appropriations, court orders, and border conditions) led to limited continuation or restart of specific projects and waivers in high-traffic areas [5] [6] [12].
6. What the sources disagree about and what they omit
Sources agree that roughly 450–453 miles of barrier work were completed or reported by CBP under Trump [9] [4]. They disagree on how much of that was truly “new” primary wall: BBC and PolitiFact report much smaller amounts (as low as 15–52 miles depending on definition) while DHS/CBP spokespeople described the larger totals as “new border wall system” [1] [2] [3] [8]. Available sources do not mention a single, uncontested number for “miles of brand-new primary barrier” that all parties accept.
Limitations: this summary uses only the provided reporting and agency statements; figures change with new CBP status reports and court rulings, and available sources here do not include every DHS/CBP status report or subsequent legal decisions beyond those cited [4] [5].