Which segments of the wall remain in place, were completed, or were dismantled as of 2025?
Executive summary
As of 2025, CBP’s baseline "existing barrier (prior to 1/20/2025)" consisted of roughly 702 miles of primary wall and about 76 miles of secondary wall; since January 20, 2025 the agency has been updating a “Smart Wall” interactive map showing projects under construction and completed mileage (CBP) [1]. Federal actions in 2025 added waivers and permit approvals for roughly 36 miles of new wall in Arizona and New Mexico and initial contracts to build small sections such as a roughly seven‑mile Hidalgo County project — while large new appropriations (the One Big Beautiful Bill/related congressional measures) committed tens of billions to expansion [2] [3] [4] [5] [6].
1. What existed before 2025: the baseline barrier
CBP’s public “Smart Wall” materials state that, prior to January 20, 2025, the Southwest border had about ~702 miles of primary wall and ~76 miles of secondary wall composed of varied barrier types — steel bollards, legacy fencing, concrete levee walls and temporary barriers — and that the interactive map treats those as “Existing Barrier (prior to 1/20/2025)” [1] [5]. Independent and advocacy reporting documents earlier projects and smaller additions through 2024 that left the border highly discontinuous in many places [7].
2. What was started or permitted in 2025: waivers and early projects
In 2025 the Department of Homeland Security issued waivers and permits enabling new construction. DHS granted three waivers covering roughly 36 miles of new wall in Arizona and New Mexico, intended to speed construction of projects funded by FY2020 and FY2021 appropriations [8] [4]. CBP announced an early contract to build approximately seven miles in Hidalgo County, Texas, as one of the first post‑January‑20 projects [2].
3. What CBP calls “Under Construction” and “Completed”
CBP’s Smart Wall Map distinguishes “Under Construction” projects (panels or waterborne barriers currently being built/deployed) from “Completed” mileage, which CBP reports as the total built since January 20, 2025; the map is updated weekly and is the agency’s official source for which segments are active, completed, or planned [1] [2]. CBP also reported dozens of miles either planned or under contract using residual funds from prior appropriations before larger new funding arrived [6].
4. Funding that changed the scale: congressional and presidential actions
Congress and the White House moved funding in 2025 that materially affects future construction. CBP and other federal pages note the July 4, 2025 passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (and related committee actions earlier in the year) committing roughly tens of billions (CBP cites $46.5 billion for Smart Wall construction) and House committee votes authorizing large border wall funding — amounts that officials say will be used to build new primary and secondary barriers and to complete system attributes where incomplete [5] [9] [6]. These funding decisions converted earlier small projects and waivers into a larger national program to add hundreds of miles over time [3].
5. Dismantled or removed segments: available reporting
Available sources do not give a comprehensive list of segments that were dismantled or removed as of 2025. The CBP Smart Wall materials and the cited reporting focus on existing barrier mileage, new construction, waivers, and funding, not on a federal tally of dismantled sections [1] [2] [5]. Local and visual journalism later in 2025 shows gaps, truncated fences and small “ends” of barrier in places like Jacumba, California, but the sources do not document systematic removals or miles taken down by the federal government in 2025 [10].
6. Where and why gaps remain
CBP acknowledges roughly 535 miles of the U.S.–Mexico border “without barrier” will be covered by detection technology because terrain or remoteness make physical barriers impractical; DHS explicitly uses a mix of steel barriers, waterborne barriers, technology, roads, lights and cameras for a “Smart Wall” approach [1] [5]. Conservation groups and local reporting contend many gaps reflect environmental, geographic and political constraints dating back before 2025 [7] [11].
7. Conflicting framings and political signals
Federal sources frame 2025 actions as closing “critical gaps” and completing system attributes; administration communications trumpet new construction and billions in funding [8] [6]. Environmental and advocacy groups frame any expansion as damaging and unnecessary, citing earlier project announcements and impacts to wildlife and communities [7] [9]. Both frames are present in the record and explain why the map, waivers and funding are politically contested [5] [9].
8. How to verify precise segments yourself
CBP’s Smart Wall interactive map and its weekly status updates are the direct federal record for which segments are “Existing Barrier,” “Under Construction,” or “Completed” since 1/20/2025; check the map’s project layers and the Smart Wall FAQ for up‑to‑date mileages and project lists [1] [5]. For permits and waivers, DHS press releases list covered projects and approximate miles [8]. Local reporting and conservation groups provide ground‑level context but do not supplant CBP’s official mileage accounting [7] [4].
Limitations: this summary relies only on the provided sources; they document baseline mileage and specific 2025 waivers and early contracts but do not publish a complete, line‑by‑line inventory of every segment “dismantled” or finished by the end of 2025 [1] [8]. For precise, parcel‑level answers consult CBP’s Smart Wall map and DHS waivers pages referenced above [1] [8].