Trump Implements $67 Billion Smart Wall Border Project

President Donald Trump is implementing a large-scale smart wall project across the United States-Mexico border, funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The legislation allocates $47 billion for barriers, access roads, and technology, with an additional $20 billion for Customs and Border Protection personnel and equipment.

The project involves constructing over 600 miles of new barriers, upgrading existing structures, and deploying underwater netting in the Rio Grande alongside sensors and surveillance towers. As of August 19, 2026, only 11% of the planned new wall has been completed, though Customs and Border Protection aims for full completion by 2028.

Construction faces significant legal opposition. The Tohono O’odham Nation has sued the administration over tribal sovereignty, and the Center for Biological Diversity has filed suit regarding environmental impacts on endangered species habitats. In Big Bend National Park, construction was temporarily halted following local protests and lobbying.

Despite the infrastructure investment, officials report that smugglers continue to bypass barriers using tunnels and cutting torches. Some observers suggest the project's ultimate effectiveness may depend more on asylum policy than physical barriers.