Overview

• The project authorizes 7.6 miles of 30-foot primary barrier west of Tecate, 1.3 miles east of Tecate, and a 0.84-mile secondary barrier near Otay Mesa with anti-climb features and automated vehicle gates.
• CBP will install or upgrade roughly 51–52 miles of related infrastructure, including cameras, lighting, fiber and power lines, utility shelters, access and patrol roads, and water management features.
• Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem invoked Section 102 of IIRIRA to waive more than 30 laws, including NEPA and the Endangered Species Act, via a Sept. 23 Federal Register notice.
• The construction and upgrades draw on funding from H.R. 1, which allocated $46.5 billion to CBP through fiscal 2029 for border construction and maintenance.
• Environmental and immigrant-rights groups object to the waivers and are weighing legal challenges, as DHS cites a need for operational control in a sector where recent migrant encounters have sharply declined.