Border Crisis
Texas Plans to Build 700+ Miles to Protect Southern Border
This week, the state of Texas is expected to award a contract that will start the construction of a barrier around their chunk of the southern border.
A statement published on the Texas Facilities Commission’s website announced that they have selected a design and an engineering firm to oversee the project, per a report by The Texas Tribune last week.
The said statement mentioned that the contract would likely be awarded by mid-September. The said contract would entail over $1 billion in possible available funding.
Per the report, the commissioners would need to cast their vote on the decision before it can award a contract for a project manager. Additionally, they would need to determine the final budget. When this is done, the chosen project manager will oversee the budget and the area of construction.
Many people have donated to the state's border wall project, and the amount has surpassed $54 million, per the Texas Governor’s Office. Back in August, state legislators passed a bill worth $1.8 billion that would fund the Lone Star state's effort to fight illegal immigration. Half of the said amount has been allocated to the barrier construction.
Texas Border Barrier Project Underway
Per the Washington Examiner’s report, Texas has already identified over 700 miles of the border where the wall can possibly be built. Owners of these areas have agreed to let the local government construct a wall, which will let the state avoid lawsuits that caused the Trump administration’s setbacks during its efforts to set up a barrier in private land.
Progress in the project has already become evident a few months since it started. In June, Texas Gov. Greg Abbot posted a video that announced the start of the barrier’s construction.
Building the border barrier has begun.
The 1st step is to get easements on land.
The 2nd step is to clear the land for the building process.
That is what is happening here.
The Texas Facilities Commission is working to hire a program manager to oversee the entire process. pic.twitter.com/n9JUN0CymL
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 28, 2021
This barrier construction project came after Abbot issued a disaster declaration last June 1 in an effort to control the immigration crisis. It initially covered 34 countries and was later revised to only include 28.
In a tweet he posted on June 28, Abbot put forth his point in a much clearer way. He said that the residents of Texas agree with him over President Joe Biden with regards to border response. Abbot said they wanted action in place of empty words.
Texans agree with me over Biden on border response.
They want action, not empty words.
While Biden does nothing to secure the border, Texas will get the job done. https://t.co/hoxsunF5Sp
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 28, 2021
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