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Trump Administration Begins Installing Rio Grande Buoy Barrier in Brownsville

Homeland Security frames the floating wall as a deterrent to illegal river crossings.

Overview

  • Crews began lowering the first units this week near Brownsville as part of a program spanning roughly 500 to 538 miles along the Rio Grande.
  • Border Patrol says more than 130 miles are under contract, including a 17-mile segment now being installed in the Brownsville area.
  • Funding comes from last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included more than $46 billion for border barriers.
  • Officials describe cylindrical buoys about four to five feet in diameter and up to 15 feet long, anchored to prevent diving under and equipped with tamper alerts.
  • DHS has not released how many miles are already in the water or a completion timeline, and the federal effort follows Texas’s 2023 pilot that led to a lawsuit now on hold.