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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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The Trump administration has drawn up plans for nearly 70 miles of secondary border barriers in the remote Big Bend region of West Texas, according to federal contracting documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.
Newsweek obtained a copy of the documents, which Laiken Jordahl, a conservation advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, first shared on X on Wednesday. The documents provide a more detailed picture of construction specifications than the government has previously made public.
One document said the project "consists of approximately 68.2 miles of secondary barrier." Another requires contractors to install poles equipped for infrared illumination and white lighting, with wiring, fiber-optic cable and camera equipment.
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"CBP appears to be planning, or to have previously planned, nearly 70 miles of secondary barrier in BBT-2, a fact that has not been previously disclosed or reported," Jordahl told Newsweek.
The documents also detail plans for a sophisticated surveillance network intended to provide round-the-clock coverage along parts of the border, with a camera specification saying, "The purpose of the CCTV system is to provide 24/7 surveillance of the enforcement zone."
The system would include motion detection and cameras positioned to eliminate blind spots.
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The documents say "all vertical barriers are considered secondary barrier throughout the scope" of that portion of the project.
"CBP has heavily redacted these records, making it difficult to determine exactly which contracts are included. However, we believe they cover BBT-2—the section running through Presidio and Big Bend Ranch State Park—and possibly some parts of BBT-4," Jordahl said.
Newsweek contacted U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for comment on Thursday.
CBP’s Plans for Expanded Border Security
The Trump administration is barreling forward with plans to build walls, vehicle barriers, roads and surveillance systems across the Big Bend region of Texas.
The roughly 517-mile Big Bend Border Patrol Sector encompasses Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park and vast stretches of public and private land along the Rio Grande. Its sparsely populated landscape of desert, mountains and river canyons has historically recorded fewer migrant apprehensions than other parts of the southern border.
Apprehensions in the Big Bend Border Patrol Sector have fallen sharply since peaking at 37,266 in fiscal year 2021, according to CBP data. Border Patrol recorded 31,948 apprehensions in 2022, 11,823 in 2023, 4,921 in 2024 and 3,096 in 2025, a decline of about 92 percent from the 2021 peak.
The figures cover the entire 517-mile sector, not just Big Bend National Park, and count people apprehended by agents rather than all attempted crossings, meaning they do not capture people who evade detection. The administration has cited more than 89,000 apprehensions between fiscal years 2021 and 2025 in describing the sector as an area of "high illegal entry." The sector had the fewest migrant apprehensions, both overall and per border mile, of any Border Patrol sector.
In February, CBP proposed about 175 miles of primary border barrier in Hudspeth, Jeff Davis and Presidio Counties, with lighting, cameras, fiber-optic cable and patrol roads. In June, the agency proposed 17 miles of 4- to 6-foot vehicle barriers and about 205 miles of roads in Brewster County. A July proposal called for another 157 miles of vehicle barriers across Brewster, Terrell and Val Verde Counties.
Challenges to Southern Border Proposals
The newly disclosed specifications also provide details about lighting and drainage. Contractors are instructed to position poles to provide cameras with "a continuous view of the Rio Grande." The spacing between the poles is redacted.
For drainage, the documents said, "All local drainage crossings within vertical barrier segments shall be completely closed off" by a vertical barrier or one fitted with rotating drainage gates. Smaller culverts would have grates installed on the river side, while larger ones would use rotating gates.
Jordahl said the structures could trap debris and worsen flooding.
"This could cause catastrophic flooding as debris could clog gates, causing floodwaters to back up into communities like Presidio," he said.
Another provision addresses wildlife, saying that tree and brush removal in threatened and endangered species habitat "will be minimized" and "will not interfere with active nesting as per the Migratory Bird Treaty Act."
The construction push followed an executive order signed by Trump on January 20, 2025, directing the government to build physical barriers and pursue "complete operational control" of the southern border.
In 2026, the Department of Homeland Security issued a series of waivers allowing border projects in the Big Bend region to proceed without complying with numerous environmental and historic-preservation laws. One waiver said the secretary had determined the area was one of "high illegal entry."
The construction soon became the subject of a legal fight. In August, CBP paused "all construction activity" inside Big Bend National Park while Commissioner Rodney Scott conducted a review.
On October 2, Judge Kathleen Cardone of the Federal District Court for the Western District of Texas blocked barrier construction and other ground-disturbing work across the Big Bend Sector. In her subsequent opinion, Cardone found that the challengers were likely to succeed in arguing that the administration had exceeded its authority to waive federal laws.
The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court on October 21 to lift the injunction while the case proceeds.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Rebecca Flood and Shakeema Edwards.
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