Texas allocated $137 million of its state funds to continue construction of the border wall begun during the Donald Trump administration
The Texas Facilities Commission on Thursday approved a $137 million contract for a Texas company to continue building the border wall, for less money than recently awarded to a private wall builder, according to Border. Report.
This is the fifth contract awarded to finance the border wall with state funds. The contracts now include the total construction of more than 31.7 miles of new border barrier along the Texas-Mexico border.
The new funds will finance the construction of more than six miles of border wall in Webb and Zapata counties, near Laredo.
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott announced in 2021 that he would use Texas state funds to resume construction of the wall, after President Joe Biden halted most of the border wall work ordered by Donald Trump.
However, the TFC indicated that it does not expect to award more contracts until the Texas legislature appropriates more funds, according to information cited by Border Report.
As part of the five contracts, the TFC had approved $307 million in September of last year to build nearly 14 miles of new border barriers in the Del Rio and Rio Grande Valley areas. According to the TFC, only 1.7 miles of barrier construction on Starr County land had been completed as of September of last year.
The Biden administration also resumed work to reinforce border barriers in 2023.
The Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported last Tuesday that, after a suspension of five months, it will resume the repair of the border barrier at Parque de la Amistad in San Diego, California, which used to be a meeting place for families. on either side of the border.