Trump administration’s $46 billion 'smart wall' races ahead on the US-Mexico border

The Trump administration is building a “smart wall”: 30‑foot steel fencing plus cameras, sensors, autonomous AI towers, river buoys and buried fiber‑optic detectors to monitor the border.
Local residents report cameras and sensors on private land, bright lights that spoil dark skies, and growing privacy and safety concerns as surveillance expands.
Congress approved roughly $46 billion to finish the project; CBP says it’s adding miles quickly (about 6 miles a week) — critics question the cost while crossings are near multi‑decade lows.