$1.7 Billion Contract Awarded “For Border Wall in Big Bend” Just Days After CBP Said It Wouldn’t Build One

Customs and Border Protection awarded a $1.7 billion contract this week explicitly designated “for border wall in Big Bend Texas” — just a week after CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott told local stakeholders that the agency would not build a wall in Big Bend National Park because of community opposition. CBP had previously suggested it would focus on paved roads and digital surveillance in the region; the new contract’s wall designation has left residents and local officials uncertain about the agency’s actual construction plans.