What parts of the completed wall remain maintained or operational as of December 2025?
Executive summary
Parts of the U.S.–Mexico border barrier remain maintained and operational as a mix of pre‑existing primary and secondary walls (about 702 miles and 76 miles respectively) plus new “Smart Wall” construction and completed projects reported since January 20, 2025; CBP’s Smart Wall program and FAQs say completed mileage is tracked on its interactive map and that about 535 miles of the border will instead rely on detection technology where terrain is unfavorable for a barrier [1] [2] [3]. Federal actions through 2025—waivers, contracts and a $46.5 billion congressional appropriation—have accelerated construction and repairs in specific sectors [4] [3] [2].
1. What “completed” and “existing” mean on the Smart Wall map
U.S. Customs and Border Protection distinguishes “Existing Barrier (prior to 1/20/2025)”—listed on the Smart Wall map as roughly 702 miles of primary wall and about 76 miles of secondary wall—from new construction completed since January 20, 2025; the interactive Smart Wall map and its FAQ pages are the agency’s stated source for which segments are considered completed or under construction [1] [2]. Available sources do not provide a single consolidated total of all completed mileage as of December 2025 beyond those component figures and the map’s live layers [1].
2. Which segments are explicitly maintained or in active use
CBP presents the Smart Wall as an operational program that provides “impedance and denial, domain awareness and the access and mobility required to secure the border,” indicating that completed physical barriers and integrated detection systems are intended to be maintained and used by Border Patrol [2]. CBP’s public materials and media reporting show construction activity and waivers aimed at expediting projects in El Paso, Tucson and Yuma sectors and targeted miles in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas—signaling federal intent to keep those new or upgraded segments operational [4] [3].
3. Where barriers have been prioritized versus where technology will substitute
CBP’s Smart Wall documentation notes that approximately 535 miles of the roughly 1,954‑mile Southwest border are considered unsuitable for barrier and will be covered by detection technology instead of a physical wall, meaning operational coverage is a mix of maintained physical barriers and maintained sensor/detection deployments rather than a continuous fence [1] [2]. Journalistic and advocacy reporting corroborates that the wall is not continuous and many regions remain open or managed by non‑barrier means [5].
4. Policy moves that affect maintenance and operation status
Through 2025 the federal government used FY2021 carryover funds, issued environmental waivers to fast‑track construction, and Congress passed legislation (the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”) that included $46.5 billion for Smart Wall construction—moves that have allowed contracts, waivers and on‑the‑ground work to resume or expand, which in turn affects which completed segments are staffed and maintained [3] [4] [2]. Local reporting also documents accelerated projects and debates over transparency as waivers enable rapid build‑outs in specific counties and sectors [6].
5. Local impacts and contested operational claims
On the ground, new secondary barriers and gap closures have been reported (for example, projects in New Mexico and Arizona), while communities such as Laredo and conservation groups raise opposition or record ecological and social impacts—showing that “operational” status can mean different things to federal agencies, local governments and civil‑society observers [7] [8] [9]. Wildlands Network reporting highlights how barrier presence alters wildlife movement even where barriers are maintained and operational [9].
6. Limits of the public record and remaining unanswered questions
Public sources in the provided set rely on CBP’s Smart Wall map and agency statements for mileages and status; they do not publish a single authoritative, audited list of every segment’s maintenance schedule or real‑time operational status as of December 2025. Available sources do not mention detailed maintenance logs, staffing levels per mile, or the operational readiness of detection systems for the roughly 535 miles covered by technology [1] [2].
Bottom line: CBP treats roughly 702 miles of primary and 76 miles of secondary pre‑existing barrier as part of the maintained border infrastructure, continues to add completed segments under the Smart Wall program tracked on its interactive map, and will rely on detection technology in about 535 miles of difficult terrain; congressional funding, waivers and contracts through 2025 have expanded which sections are being built and therefore maintained, but public sources do not provide a full, line‑by‑line operational inventory as of December 2025 [1] [2] [3] [4].