What sections of the US-Mexico border wall remain unfinished as of November 2025?
Executive summary
Available reporting shows the U.S.–Mexico border still has substantial unfinished stretches as of late 2025: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported roughly 535 miles of the southwest border without physical barrier to be covered instead by detection technology (CBP’s “Smart Wall” summary) [1], while reporting and imagery show obvious gaps where steel fencing “ends suddenly” (e.g., Jacumba, California) and open crossings remain visible on the ground (The Guardian) [2]. Multiple recent federal actions — waivers and new contracts for hundreds of miles and billions of dollars in spending — indicate the administration is accelerating construction, but they do not by themselves identify every remaining unfinished section [3] [4] [5].
1. What federal data actually says about “unfinished” miles
CBP’s public Smart Wall material states that prior to January 20, 2025, there were roughly 702 miles of primary barrier and ~76 miles of secondary barrier built, and that approximately 535 miles of the U.S.–Mexico border without barrier would be covered by detection technology because terrain or remoteness made a physical wall impractical [1]. That framing treats many stretches as intentionally without physical wall rather than as unfinished construction, so “unfinished” can mean either: gaps planned to remain open with sensors, or sections planned for future barrier construction under new political commitments [1].
2. Visual and local reporting that shows concrete gaps
Photo essays and local reporting demonstrate visible breakpoints in the steel fencing where people cross and where the fence “ends suddenly,” such as documented scenes in Jacumba, California, and photographs near Fort Hancock [2]. Journalistic coverage is useful because it reveals the on-the-ground reality that not all border line is continuously walled even where a barrier exists elsewhere [2].
3. New construction and waivers don’t equal completion of the whole border
Since January 2025, federal actions accelerated construction: DHS issued waivers to expedite about 36 miles of new wall in Arizona and New Mexico [3]; other reporting notes contracts and spending to add large mileages and funding (DHS plans for 230 miles; $4.5 billion contracts; congressional packages for tens of billions) [5] [4] [6]. These measures expand barrier work in targeted sectors but, per CBP’s Smart Wall framing and independent visual coverage, they do not eliminate remaining uncovered or sensor-only stretches — hundreds of miles remain without a continuous barrier [1] [4] [5].
4. Where construction was actively underway or contracted in 2025
Reporting cites specific areas prioritized for new construction in 2025: Arizona and New Mexico received new waivers for roughly 36 miles [3]; CBP and other outlets documented projects in San Diego and Tucson sectors and a new “secondary” wall in New Mexico [1] [7]. Large contract awards and local planning in places like Laredo and Starr County were also reported, indicating work focused on discrete border segments rather than the entire 1,954-mile boundary [4] [8].
5. Conflicting framings: “unbuilt” vs. “sensor-only” vs. “policy choice”
Federal materials emphasize a mixed approach — physical barrier where practicable, technology and detection elsewhere — which frames many miles as a policy choice rather than a construction shortfall [1]. Advocacy groups and local critics frame remaining un-walled areas as gaps to be closed; environmental and rights-focused organizations describe the impacts of adding barriers where they are proposed [9] [6]. The sources thus disagree about whether those miles should be considered “unfinished” or deliberately non-barrier terrain [1] [9] [6].
6. Limitations in the available reporting and unanswered specifics
Available sources do not provide a single, up-to-date, mile-by-mile list of which precise border segments remained unfinished as of November 2025; CBP’s Smart Wall map tracks completed and planned segments but the public summary cites aggregate numbers [1]. Local news and photo reporting highlight specific gap points (e.g., Jacumba), and federal announcements list miles and waivers for particular states, but a consolidated official map or table of every remaining unfinished section is not present in these sources [2] [3] [4].
7. Bottom line — how to interpret “unfinished” in November 2025
The clearest factual takeaway from CBP and contemporary reporting is that hundreds of miles of the southwest border were not covered by physical barrier and were being managed with detection technology by design (~535 miles noted by CBP), while targeted construction and large funding/contract actions in 2025 focused on selected sectors rather than creating a continuous completed wall [1] [3] [4]. For a precise inventory of every unfinished segment as of November 2025, the available reporting is incomplete; consult CBP’s Smart Wall map and recent contract/waiver announcements for the most granular, evolving details [1] [3].