Border Wall Planned in West Texas

Why this is here: The proposed border wall construction could cost an estimated $17 million per mile, exceeding Presidio’s annual city budget by roughly 575%.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection awarded a $1.7 billion contract to build a border wall in the Big Bend region of West Texas, despite assurances that no wall would be built through the national and state parks. Construction is advancing west of the parks, threatening the economies and cultures of rural border communities like Presidio, Texas, a town of roughly 3,000 people with a poverty rate near 40%.

Residents express concern that the wall will disrupt cross-border ties with Ojinaga, Mexico, where many Presidio residents obtain groceries and necessities. A $1.2 billion contract estimates construction costs at $17 million per mile. The Big Bend sector of the border has historically seen low rates of illegal immigration and smuggling.

The city of Presidio has commissioned an independent flood-risk assessment, fearing a 30-foot steel wall could worsen flooding along the Rio Grande, a region prone to flash floods. Concerns also extend to environmental damage from razor wire installed along the river and potential impacts on the growing tourism economy. The work to understand and mitigate these effects continues as construction progresses.