Texas has started building its own border wall. The first steel panels went up Saturday morning in the Rio Grande Valley. The wall is going up on state land and it's paid for with state money. The contractor in charge of the project had been building former President Trump's border wall until it was canceled by the Biden Administration. The two-mile-long wall is designed to help fill gaps where there's no federal wall.
On June 16, Governor Abbott announced the State of Texas' plan for the border wall and authorized the transfer for $250 million as a down payment to launch construction. He also directed the TFC to hire a program manager to oversee its construction. In September, a program manager was selected to lead the process of planning and executing the border wall. The Governor also signed House Bill 9 into law that month, providing an additional $1.8 billion in state funding for border security, including border wall construction.
"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," said Governor Abbott. "In June, I promised Texans that we 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 in our efforts to combat illegal immigration, stop the smuggling of drugs and people, and keep our communities safe."
Photos: Texas Governor's Office