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Construction has resumed on a border wall upgrade project in Texas’s Rio Grande Valley that was previously halted under President Joe Biden’s administration.
According to U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks, the Trump administration has authorized the continuation of the previously suspended project. The upgrade involves replacing existing six-foot guard rails with significantly taller 18-foot bollard panels, designed to enhance border security by deterring illegal crossings.
“These panels were originally planned for installation during the prior Trump Administration, but the contracts were canceled by the Biden Administration,” Banks stated. “The panels going in today will replace the six-foot guard rails and will provide impedance and denial capabilities in support of the President’s recent Executive Orders to ensure complete operational control of the Southern border.”
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.@POTUS @realDonaldTrump is fulfilling his promise to secure the border!
Not only did he immediately reinstate the βremain in Mexicoβ policy, but border wall construction has resumed through executive orders.
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— π²πππππππππππ π π³πππβ’ (@1776Diva) January 23, 2025
The announcement coincided with a visit to Eagle Pass by Vice President JD Vance and other senior Trump administration officials, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. During the visit, Vance addressed reporters about the urgent need for Mexican cooperation in border security, particularly concerning the fentanyl crisis affecting young Americans.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott joined the Trump delegation in Eagle Pass to discuss the state’s border security initiatives. “All our country needed to secure the border was a new President,” Abbott said in a post on X. “Together, we will make America safe again.”
Recent data reveals a dramatic decline in border encounters under the Trump administration. February saw just over 8,300 migrant arrests, marking a 94 percent decrease from the previous year’s 140,641 encounters. The numbers also showed an 82 percent reduction from December, Biden’s final full month in office.
Our border crossings are down by 94% compared to last yearβs numbers.
Trumpβs policies are in and of themselves a deterrent wall. pic.twitter.com/NfyjmfrvV1
— Marina Medvin πΊπΈ (@MarinaMedvin) February 24, 2025
Texas Department of Public Safety Spokesman Lt. Chris Olivarez reported unprecedented low daily apprehension rates, with numbers dropping below 200 in late February. The month’s total arrests of 8,326 migrants surpassed earlier predictions of 9,200.
This figure represents the lowest number of encounters since records began during the Clinton administration’s final year. The previous record low was set during Trump’s first term in April 2017, with 11,127 migrant encounters.
