A CBP spokesperson said the $1.7 billion would be used to construct 17 miles of vehicle barriers and patrol roads and more in Big Bend, TX.
$1.7 billion for 17 miles [and more…].
$1.7 billion contract awarded “for border wall in Big Bend” amid public confusion over construction plans
A Customs and Border Protection statement said the funding would not be used for “a 30-foot-high barrier" in the region’s parks, echoing a previous commitment from a top CBP official.
by Ayden Runnels
May 15, 2026, 8:52 p.m. Central
May 19, 2026, 5:52 p.m. Central
"U.S. Customs and Border Protection awarded a $1.7 billion federal contract listed for border wall construction in the Big Bend region, fueling public confusion over the project after a previous assurance from a top agency official that no barriers would be built at the region’s national park.
"The contract, awarded May 11, is designated “for border wall in Big Bend Texas” in its description. The $1.7 billion allocated in the contract is the single-highest amount awarded for a contract in Texas related to the border wall, according to listings on usaspending.gov, the U.S. government’s official public spending database.
"In a statement on Tuesday, a CBP spokesperson said the $1.7 billion would be used to construct 17 miles of vehicle barriers and patrol roads and 205 miles of “system attributes,” which is comprised of a mix of patrol roads and surveillance technology. The spokesperson denied that the contract funding would be used to build “a 30-foot-high barrier” in either of the two parks in the region or the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area.
“Instead, it utilizes technology like cameras and sensors, along with limited, low-profile, post-on-rail barriers in strategic areas designed to restrict vehicle access while leveraging the natural barriers that already exist in the area,” the statement said.
"A second contract for $4.5 million was awarded on May 14 for “resource monitoring support” of border wall construction in a separate area of the Big Bend region.
"The new awards come a week after CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott told the Washington Examiner there would be no border wall built at Big Bend National Park because of pushback from local residents. Scott’s statements to the Examiner and a statement from CBP last week to The Texas Tribune indicated the agency would instead pave roads along the border in the national park and use digital surveillance equipment.
"Opponents of wall construction in the region have seen their frustrations with the project mount as communication from the Trump administration about the project has been limited, and there have been few formal announcements about plans in the area.
“We obviously, at this point, don’t trust anything, but it’s like a roller coaster,” said Lico Miller, a business owner in Terlingua, a small, rural town a few miles west of Big Bend National Park.
"An interactive “Smart Wall” map on the CBP website shows the agency planned to install roads and “virtual wall” technology that would alert Border Patrol agents when people cross the border in the “Big Bend 4” region. The $1.7 billion award is intended for a Big Bend “segment identified as BBT-4,” according to its description. CBP officials took down the Smart Wall map in late April, but later added it once more with changes in mid-May. …
… "On May 14, the Trump administration waived environmental protections in the Big Bend region in preparation for construction, according to a federal notice first reported by Marfa Public Radio. The notice described Border Patrol’s 517-mile Big Bend sector as “an area of high illegal entry.” The sector is the least busy of the nine sectors, with agency apprehensions in the region accounting for 1.3% of more than 237,000 across the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal year 2025.
"Residents point to the infrequency of border crossings in the area as only adding to the confusion and frustration.
“We’re 1.3% of the problem. What is this billions of dollars stuff when we are not an issue?” another Terlingua business owner Cynta de Narvaez said.
"The May 14 waivers follow similar action in February, when Trump administration officials waived over two dozen environmental laws to clear the way for a 150-mile-long border barrier through West Texas that initially included Big Bend National Park.tes that no is wall planned around the national or state park despite the awarded contract.
"Advocacy groups in the region filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in mid-April arguing it had illegally waived those environmental laws and need Congress to sign off."
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/05/15/texas-big-bend-border-wall-contract-awarded-billion/