Texas builds border wall in sector where 47,000 migrants were apprehended last month

Governor Greg Abbott announced in a press conference on Saturday that construction will begin on the Texas border wall in Rio Grande City.

Abbott had announced 6 months prior that Texas will be building its own border wall (Office of the Texas Governor). The Governor was joined by Texas general Land Office (GLO) Commissioner George P. Bush and Texas Facilities Commission (TFC) Chairman Steven Avis in front of the first phase of construction.

The Governor, along with the GLO Commissioner and TFC Chairman, spoke in the press conference of the progress being made to secure the southern border. “The State of Texas has taken comprehensive action to secure our southern border and address the border crisis while President Biden has sat idly by,” the Governor said at the press conference.

“In June, I promised Texans that they would step up in the federal government’s absence and build our own border wall. We have wasted no time in the six months since that promise was made, and I am proud to announce that construction of the Texas border wall is now underway. Today not only represents the first phase of the Texas border wall, but it also serves as a major milestone for in our efforts to combat illegal immigration, top the smuggling of drugs and people, and keep our communities safe.”

The Texas GLO had gifted state-owned farmland for the first section of the border wall (Border Report). The walls are 300 feet tall and extend only 800 feet but will reach 1.3 miles. This is just a portion of the 8 miles of wall the state is building. In June, Abbott pledged the state to build its own border wall with a $250 million down payment for construction.

Bush called the act a “momentous occasion” after “the people of Texas who said enough is enough of open borders. Enough disorderly chaos led by coyotes, smugglers and traffickers who do harm to our state.”

The governor commented that the wall design will be similar to what would have been built under the Trump administration. The Texas Legislature has set aside $3 billion for border security. Some of these funds will contribute to the construction of the wall.