Border Wall Construction Advances Under Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security is reportedly making progress on the construction of a border wall stretching from California’s beaches to Texas, with Rodney Scott, the head of the Border Patrol, stating that the project is “ahead of schedule and…under budget.”
Scott mentioned that secondary barriers, including a water barrier along the Rio Grande and advanced monitoring technology funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3), are set to be completed by July 2028. He elaborated on the funding situation, reflecting on how the previous administration had allocated substantial funds for the border wall, while legislative actions during the Biden administration complicated construction efforts.
“Trump put a lot of money into the border wall, and OB3 added to it. Despite the Biden administration’s attempts to halt construction, Congress didn’t revoke the funding,” Scott explained. “They managed to delay the project, wasting millions—perhaps billions—of dollars over the years.”
“When we took office on January 20th, we began leveraging those funds. The Big Beautiful Act allocated $46.5 billion for the smart border wall system, and it’s not just a wall—it’s a barrier with built-in technology that alerts agents and includes camera systems. The major section of the border wall is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.”
He added that by then, walls would be erected throughout the stretch from San Diego to the Gulf Coast, noting that they had opted against building walls in certain areas, such as the remote Big Bend National Park.
Scott mentioned that by July 2028, the borders would have additional barriers as well.
“We will introduce secondary barriers where necessary, including new water barriers that were tested during the Trump administration. As head of Border Patrol, I was trying to advance those projects, but it was stalled by the Biden administration,” he noted. “This would have established a more physical border wall across hundreds of miles of the Rio Grande.”
He draws a clear distinction between the immigration policies of the Trump administration and those of Biden. Scott expressed frustration during his tenure as chief of Border Patrol under Biden, as security recommendations were often ignored.
“For the first seven months, I saw efforts to bypass Congress in halting wall construction. It quickly became about processing people instead of securing the borders,” he said. “It felt like a system designed to promote illegal immigration, which I opposed throughout my time there.”
Scott criticized the administration’s approach, claiming that quicker releases of migrants allowed them to find jobs, effectively entangling them in a cycle of debt from smuggling costs, while inadvertently encouraging more people to undertake dangerous journeys to the U.S.
He also mentioned that if migrants were not allowed to seek work, they might face deportation, which would leave them in dire financial situations. On the other hand, if the invitation for immigration hadn’t come from the administration, perhaps Americans could have enjoyed better job prospects and affordable housing.
“The perspectives between the Biden administration and others are just worlds apart. They seem to view America not as a place to protect but rather as one that should provide for others,” Scott observed. “We’ve tried to give them a comprehensive view on the impact of illegal immigration, especially how cartels manipulate situations to distract law enforcement.”
He further reiterated the consequences of ignoring these dynamics, noting the ongoing toll on American lives due to drugs and crime under the current policies.
“This administration shut down key initiatives because it doesn’t seem to prioritize these issues,” Scott concluded.
