{"id":1703,"date":"2026-05-16T15:31:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T15:31:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1703"},"modified":"2026-05-16T15:31:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T15:31:16","slug":"big-bend-border-security-1-7-billion-awarded-despite-no-wall-in-cbp-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmovingjournal.com\/?p=1703","title":{"rendered":"Big Bend border security: $1.7 billion awarded despite ‘no wall’ in CBP plans"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Texas, Big Bend National Park, Santa Elena Canyon, Rio Grande River. (Photo By: Education Images\/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>

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TERILINGUA, Texas<\/strong> – <\/span>Despite “no wall” being planned for Big Bend National Park at Texas’ southern border, a $1.7 billion contract has been awarded for ongoing U.S. Customs and Border immigration-deterring construction.\u00a0<\/p>

At the time of publishing, the CBP Smart Wall Map showed only patrol roads and surveillance technology were planned for the region.\u00a0<\/p>

$1.7B Big Bend contract<\/h2>
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The latest:<\/p>

The money was awarded to Southwest Valley Constructors, with a listed start date of May 11, 2026, and a potential end date of Dec. 7, 2028.\u00a0<\/p>

The contractor is listed online as an Albuquerque-based company specializing in large-scale construction for the federal government. According to USASpending.org, the contractor has been awarded 12 projects by the government, totaling $2 billion since 2019.<\/p>

The interactive map shows a large section of the park, displayed below in yellow, which is labeled “Big Bend 4 Technology & Patrol Road (No Wall). The contract was awarded for the “segment identified as BBT-4” in the USASpending listing.\u00a0<\/p>

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CBP Smart Wall Map: May 15, 2026<\/span> <\/p><\/div> <\/div> <\/div>

Big Bend border concerns<\/h2>

Big picture view:<\/p>

At the moment, at least, the national park appears to be safe from an actual wall on its border, along which runs the Rio Grande. According to the Texas Tribune, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott was recently quoted as promising there would be no wall within the park’s boundaries due to local pushback.\u00a0<\/p>

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Residents did indeed push back once the wall was teased in recent months \u2014 along with hundreds of environmentalists, activists and lawmakers. Their concerns appeared to be only partially regarding the potential eyesore of a 30-foot wall, and much more focused on the impact of construction on plant and animal life in the park.\u00a0<\/p>

What we don’t know:<\/p>

FOX 4 has reached out to CPB to ask why $1.7 billion is necessary to build a road and add surveillance tech, but had not heard back by the time of publishing.\u00a0<\/p>

\n Related\n <\/p>

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\"Conservationists<\/figure>\n<\/div>