DHS advances southern border barrier projects

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently authorized Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to advance a series of southern border barrier projects.

DHS Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas recently detailed projects in the San Diego, El Centro, Yuma, El Paso, and Rio Grande Valley Sectors to address life, safety, environmental, or other remediation requirements through border barrier funds.

Slated work includes replacing an existing deteriorated train gate with a modernized gate in El Centro to address life and safety risks posed to agents and migrants due to regular train operations; building retractable gates underneath an existing bridge across the New River in Imperial County, California, as a means of addressing risks associated with hazardous river waters; replacing worn barrier located adjacent to Friendship Circle in Imperial Beach, California, that has not been properly treated to withstand corrosion from nearby ocean waters – presenting safety risks to Border Patrol Agents, community members and migrants; and completing 17 gates and executing site clean-up work in the Rio Grande Valley Sector presently making it difficult for Border Patrol Agents to access certain areas and for first responders to respond to incidents.

DHS is continuing to call on federal lawmakers to cancel remaining appropriations for barrier system construction and instead specifically fund smart border security measures that include border technology at and between ports of entry.