{"id":2500598,"date":"2025-10-19T06:18:01","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T10:18:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-is-building-a-smart-wall-on-border-heres-what-that-means\/"},"modified":"2025-10-19T06:21:45","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T10:21:45","slug":"trump-is-building-a-smart-wall-on-border-heres-what-that-means","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-is-building-a-smart-wall-on-border-heres-what-that-means\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump is building a &#8216;smart wall&#8217; on border. Here&#8217;s what that means"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-is-building-a-smart-wall-on-border-heres-what-that-means%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2500598&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses President Donald Trump&#8217;s renewed efforts to complete his long-promised border wall by building a &#8220;smart wall&#8221; along the U.S.-Mexico border. Having secured nearly $5 billion in congressional funding within six months of his return to the White house, Trump aims to finish the border barrier, a project initially started in his first term but left incomplete by 2021. The new &#8220;smart wall&#8221; differs from prior barriers by integrating advanced technology such as sensors, cameras, lighting, and AI-driven systems to enhance border security and provide Border Patrol agents with comprehensive operational control.The plan includes constructing physical barriers on over 1,400 miles of the 1,954-mile border, supplemented by detection technology and infrastructure in other areas. The initiative builds on <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >past border wall efforts dating back<\/a> to the 1990s but emphasizes modern technological capabilities to improve surveillance and threat detection. The &#8220;smart wall&#8221; is intended to offer real-time situational awareness through a fusion of intelligence gathered from various sensors, enabling more efficient deployment of border security resources.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Trump is building a &lsquo;smart wall&rsquo; on border. Here&rsquo;s what that means<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2375797\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>President&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Donald Trump<\/a>&nbsp;is swiftly moving forward with a keystone campaign promise from his first term: to build the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/border-wall\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">border wall<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Within six months of returning to the White House, Trump has been able to acquire nearly $5 billion in congressional funding to finish the border wall he first&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2633821\/trump-to-exit-with-key-promise-unfulfilled-1000-mile-border-wall-unfinished-and-mexico-didnt-pay\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">set out<\/a>&nbsp;to construct in 2017 but did not complete before leaving office in 2021.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/3854953\/salesforce-marc-benioff-ice-contract-pitch\/\">Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff faces new controversy over ICE contract pitch<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/3853641\/mexican-cartels-target-migrants-ai-images-trump-border-open\/\">Mexican cartels target migrants with AI images of Trump saying border is open<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/3854215\/florida-sues-california-washington-licensing-immigrants\/\">Florida sues California, Washington for licensing illegal immigrants<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Unlike in his first term, the second Trump administration has a significant head start on building and should have no problem finishing the project by 2029.<\/p>\n<p>But there is one technical difference: This time around, the project is called a &ldquo;smart wall.&rdquo; Although technology was utilized in the border barrier system during Trump&rsquo;s first term, it plays an even larger role in safeguarding the country now.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In fact, every one of the 1,954 miles of the border with Mexico will have a &ldquo;smart wall,&rdquo; allowing the White House to carry out what it first set out to accomplish nearly a decade ago.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Smart Wall means more miles of barriers, more technology, and more capability for our agents on the ground. This is how you take control of the border,&rdquo; U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a statement.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"gmail-h-the-quest-to-build-a-wall\">The quest to build a wall<\/h2>\n<p>Border wall construction is nothing new. Projects took off in the 1990s, when then-President Bill Clinton approved a Border Patrol hiring surge and infrastructure. A decade later, during the George W. Bush administration, Congress approved the Secure Fence Act, which funded more than 650 miles of barrier.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Half of those 650 miles of barrier had short fences just tall enough to block vehicles from driving across rural parts of the border, while the other half was tall enough to prevent people from illegally walking over. Border wall projects continued, albeit at far slower rates, during the Obama administration.<\/p>\n<p>The first Trump administration did not install a mile of wall in a previously unfenced part of the border in its first 30 months in office and instead focused on projects replacing dilapidated fencing. The delays in getting started were due to several factors, including poor planning, problems acquiring private and public land, and funding shortages.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/1119762\/trump-hits-450-mile-goal-for-2020-border-wall-construction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">completed<\/a>&nbsp;450 miles of the 740 that were funded before&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2633821\/trump-to-exit-with-key-promise-unfulfilled-1000-mile-border-wall-unfinished-and-mexico-didnt-pay\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">leaving office<\/a>. When former President Joe Biden took office, he froze and later canceled the remaining wall projects.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The red lines on the map show where there is border wall as of the start of President Donald Trump&rsquo;s second term. (Screenshot: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"gmail-h-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-delivers\">The One Big Beautiful Bill delivers<\/h2>\n<p>The last time there was a government shutdown was in early 2019, when the Trump administration fought with Congress for $18 billion in border wall funding.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This time around, Republicans tucked $46.5 billion for the project into the One Big Beautiful Bill, which Congress passed in late spring and Trump signed on July 4.<\/p>\n<p>Over 1,400 miles of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/outrageous-trump-criticizes-biden-administration-for-dismantling-his-policies-as-border-crisis-worsens\/\" title=\"\u2018Outrageous\u2019: ... Criticizes Biden Administration For Dismantling His Policies As ... Crisis Worsens\">entire southern border<\/a> will have a physical barrier to deter people from crossing by the time the current and future projects are completed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The remaining 535 miles are not viewed by planners as ideal for building a wall or are considered low-risk areas for illegal crossings. However, the 535 miles will be provided with detection technology.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, CBP is installing 550 miles of technology in parts of the border that have a physical barrier but lack sensors in the ground, cameras, and other technology.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"gmail-h-defining-smart-wall\">Defining &lsquo;smart wall&rsquo;<\/h2>\n<p>In early October, the Department of Homeland Security and CBP announced 10 new construction projects as part of the smart wall, funded by $4.5 billion of the $46.5 billion for border security in the One Big Beautiful Bill. A small portion of the projects was funded by unused money that Congress appropriated for the border wall in fiscal 2021.<\/p>\n<p>CBP is the federal agency handling the planning of the smart wall. The agency said the objective of a smart wall is to combine two parallel steel walls with waterborne barriers, patrol roads, and technology in an effort to give Border Patrol agents &ldquo;operational control&rdquo; of the border.<\/p>\n<p>CBP defines a smart wall as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-data-shows-bidens-border-crisis-worsened-during-april-disaster-doesnt-even-begin-to-describe-it\/\" title=\"New Data Shows Biden\u2019s ... Crisis Worsened During April: \u2018Disaster Doesn\u2019t Even Begin To Describe It\u2019\">border wall system<\/a> that includes a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fire-sale-biden-auctions-off-critical-infrastructure-trump-needs-sticks-americans-with-the-bill\/\" title=\"Fire Sale! Biden Auctions Off Critical Infrastructure ... Needs, Sticks Americans with the Bill\">steel bollard wall<\/a> or waterborne barrier, roads, detection technology, cameras, and lighting, as well as a secondary wall&nbsp;in some cases.<\/p>\n<p>In select unspecified areas of the border, the physical barrier will be painted black as part of the smart wall design, meant to heat up more than the reddish brown portion.<\/p>\n<p>To start, the Trump administration will install 230 miles of smart wall, complete with all elements. An additional 400 miles of the border will receive new technology.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The map shows where smart wall border projects are underway and complete. (Screenshot: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Chuck DeVore, chief national initiatives officer for the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation, said the smart wall will give agents &ldquo;domain awareness.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Domain means not only are you aware of what is going on in the visual light spectrum, but what can you see in thermal? What can you sense in terms of radio frequency waves?&rdquo; DeVore said in a phone call on Friday. &ldquo;Seismic vibrations that are created when you build a tunnel. And radar.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/national-security\/3854348\/quarter-million-americans-applied-ice-border-patrol-under-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">QUARTER-MILLION AMERICANS HAVE APPLIED TO BORDER PATROL AND ICE UNDER TRUMP<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While a physical barrier can slow down those who cross illegally, technology and the addition of artificial intelligence and machine learning can take the images and information from sensors and cameras and reach conclusions faster than humans.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;When you have domain awareness with the fusion of critical intelligence, then you have a machine gathering all of this stuff in relation to time and presenting a picture to you that is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/live-view-of-israels-border-with-lebanon\/\" title=\"Live feed of Israel-Lebanon ...\">real-time understanding<\/a> of what is going on at the border,&rdquo; DeVore said. &ldquo;That allows you to deploy your limited assets &hellip; so now you can move to meet the threat.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Trump advances &#8216;smart wall&#8217; border project with $5B funding<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2655,"featured_media":2500599,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/border-wall-construction.webp?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[33709,65478,3634],"class_list":["post-2500598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-border-security","tag-smart-wall","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/border-wall-construction.webp?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2500598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2655"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2500598"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2500598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2500602,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2500598\/revisions\/2500602"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2500599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2500598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2500598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2500598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}