More on the Southwest Border Fence

Types of Fence

Securing America’s borders requires the proper mix of personnel, technology, and tactical infrastructure, and fencing is just one element of this defense-in-depth plan. Different environments require different approaches to control our borders. Technology enhances the ability of the Border Patrol to identify and track illicit activity. Depending on the area, technology may be all that is required to gain effective control. In cases where Border Patrol’s operational requirements dictate a need for persistence impedance, the installation of fence has proven to be effective. 

Pedestrian and Vehicle Fence

The two types of barriers being constructed on the Southwest Border are:

• Pedestrian fence
• Vehicle fence

These fences are designed to prevent either the passage of people and/or vehicles. Their placement depends on the threat at the location and the operational needs of law enforcement.

The type of fencing to be constructed depends on the specific operational needs and characteristics of the area to be fenced.  For each individual area, solutions are selected from the Fence “Toolbox” to suit the type of environment (urban, rural, or remote) and its geographic and climatic characteristics (hills, rivers, mountains, forest, desert, etc.).

This toolbox of fencing solutions includes, but is not limited to:

• "Post on rail" steel set in concrete with a mesh option;
• Steel picket-style fence set in concrete;
• Vehicle bollards similar to those found around federal buildings;
• "Normandy" vehicle fence consisting of steel beams; and
• Concrete jersey walls with steel mesh.

Technology

In remote areas along the border, tower-based integrated cameras and sensors, ground-based radar, mobile surveillance systems, and an unmanned aerial system along with traditional border patrols. These tools are part of CBP's technology solution, which includes the Secure Border Initiative's SBInet program.

Natural Geographic Barriers

Rivers, mountain ranges and other geographic objects can provide a natural barrier to illegal entry.

Where to Build

The Department of Homeland Security identifies areas for fence construction based on the volume of illicit cross-border activity. The decision process is complex. 

The first consideration is the operational needs of law enforcement. Assessments by local Border Patrol agents – based on current illegal crossing patterns and the Border Patrol’s extensive field experience – have identified places along the border where physical fence construction would be most effective. 

Many other factors are taken into account, such as terrain, floodplain, waterways, cultural sites, cost, migration patterns, and other important geographical and environmental concerns.

Final Fence Placement

Four main factors contribute to final fence location decisions:

• Initial Border Patrol operational assessments
• Engineering assessments, which include the cost to construct
• Environmental considerations
• Input from stakeholders

Once fencing is chosen as a solution, the type of fence (pedestrian or vehicle, along with which design will be most effective) is determined. The purpose is to make informed decisions that provide agents and officers with the right resources to effectively perform their priority homeland security mission, while balancing this against the needs of those who live in border communities.

Environment

Border Fence Waivers

The Department of Homeland Security has issued a total of five environmental and land management waivers to install additional physical barriers and roads at the border to deter illegal activity. The two most recent waivers were issued on April 1, 2008 when then-Secretary Chertoff signed an environmental and land management waiver covering 470 miles of the Southwest Border. Although the waivers means that the Department no longer has any specific legal obligations under the 30 environmental laws and regulations, the Department and CBP are committed to proceeding in an environmentally sensitive manner regarding our valuable natural and cultural resources.

A substantial portion of the project areas addressed by the April 1, 2008 waiver have already undergone environmental reviews. In those areas where environmental reviews have not yet occurred, the Department will conduct a review before any major construction begins. Regardless of the waiver, the Department is committed to writing and implementing Environmental Stewardship Plans for all border infrastructure project.

Environmental Stewardship Planning

To fulfill the Secretary’s commitment to complete an “environmental review” prior to any major construction, the Department has prepared Environmental Stewardship Plans (ESPs) to evaluate potential environmental impacts associated with each construction project and provide potential mitigations for unavoidable adverse impacts.  As the ESPs are completed, an announcement is being published in local and regional newspapers and copies are being distributed to local and regional libraries.

With these ESPs, the Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) continue to perform the same level of environmental analysis that would have been performed before the waivers in the “normal” National Environmental Policy Act process to evaluate potential impacts to sensitive resources in the areas where fence is being constructed. 

The Department and CBP are working closely with the appropriate resource agencies to minimize any adverse impacts to the environment, wildlife, and historic and cultural resources. Additionally, fence design may be altered and other best management practices will be incorporated to minimize impacts where possible. Where avoidance or minimization cannot be achieved, the Department and CBP are committed to working with the Department of the Interior to identify and fund mitigation measures for fish and wildlife impacts.

Results of Environmental Stewardship

The Department is continuing to work in a collaborative manner with local government, state, tribal, and federal land managers, and the interested public, to identify and minimize the impact to environmentally sensitive resources and endangered species potentially affected by fence construction projects. As a result of the Department’s commitment to responsible environmental stewardship:

• Over 60 endangered species were evaluated across the border, and the Department enacted best management practices to avoid or minimize impacts.
• More than 600 archeological and cultural resource sites – the largest cultural resources undertaking ever completed along the Southwest Border – were identified, evaluated, and mitigated before construction proceeded.

Community

Stakeholder Outreach

The Department of Homeland Security places a high priority on interaction with, and feedback from, local officials, landowners, and community members about border infrastructure project plans, including fencing.  

The Department strives for a transparent and consultative process and has gone to great lengths to obtain public input as it moves forward to construct approximately 670 miles of fence along the Southwest Border. The Department has engaged in extensive discussions about the placement of fencing with state and local stakeholders, including landowners.

Since the program’s inception, this outreach includes the Department's:

• Contacting almost 600 different landowners.
• Holding 15 public open house meetings that have been advertised to the public.
• Hosting 20 town hall meetings – which were advertised to the public and provided an opportunity for dialogue – along the Southwest Border.
• Holding more than 80 meetings with public groups in addition to the town halls.
• Hosting over 200 separate meetings with a range of state, local, and tribal officials.

As this input is gathered, the Department receives assessments from environmental, engineering, and other field experts. These analyses yield an overall assessment, and appropriate steps are taken to ensure these factors are incorporated into final decisions.

Results of Community Involvement

The Department’s consultations with resource agencies and local stakeholders have resulted in numerous changes to the fence alignment and design, location of access roads, placement of staging areas to minimize potential environmental and other impacts. 

Through this continuous interaction, the Department developed the following:

• Deer-friendly fence in New Mexico
• Animal passages in the Rio Grande Valley
• Small animal gaps in El Paso, Texas
• "Floating fence" where digging would damage levees or risk archeological sites
• Installed "visually aesthetic fence" around a golf course and city park