McALLEN, Texas — The Trump administration has notified Laredo officials that it intends to move forward with the construction of a new border wall in the city as part of a broader initiative to build barriers “along the entire southern border,” Mayor Victor D. Treviño said Monday.
The update was delivered during a scheduled meeting between city leaders, U.S. Border Patrol, and officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, where Treviño said DHS outlined a preliminary construction timeline and phased installation strategy.
According to the mayor, Phase 1 calls for a 15-mile segment that could begin construction as soon as next year. Federal agencies have not finalized design details, leaving questions about exact locations, environmental impact, and property acquisition unresolved.
The notification follows DHS awarding $4.5 billion in contracts to build 230 miles of a “smart wall” — a system combining:
Maps released by federal officials show a barrier planned in the Laredo region, though no contracts specific to the area have yet been issued.
Other border communities responded with mixed awareness. A spokesperson for Mission, Texas said the city has not received any notification, while Rio Grande City Mayor Gilberto Falcon responded briefly: “We already have a border wall.”
With eminent domain and federal funding in play, Laredo leaders acknowledged the challenges in pushing back.
“We have very limited options as a city,” Council member David King said. “When you have a federal government with $46 billion it has passed in the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ in July of this year, that’s $46 billion that the federal government has and then legally, they have eminent domain where they can come in and take property so at the end of the day, our legal options are limited.”
Despite their objections, the City Council approved an invitation to former President Donald Trump to golf at the municipal course along the Rio Grande — an effort King said was aimed at maintaining dialogue, though the idea caused heated debate among council members.
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Laredo Democrat, sharply criticized the plan.
“Border walls are a 14th-century solution to 21st-century problems,” Cuellar said. “Border crossings are already down, and Laredo continues to be one of the safest places to live in the United States. This was accomplished without additional border wall being added, but through enforcement of the law and investing in resources at our border.”
Cuellar also noted the administration’s latest immigration actions have centered more on deportation than physical barriers — marking a shift from Trump’s first term priorities.
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The Laredo City Council reiterated its support for border security measures but opposed a wall inside city limits. Officials now plan to formally poll residents to gauge local sentiment — a move sparked by contentious land access disputes earlier this year.
Local backlash recently erupted over a proposed easement enabling wall construction on two city-owned properties. The council unanimously rejected the deal but allowed negotiations to continue.
The political climate has intensified following the forced removal of a “Defund the Wall” mural outside a federal courthouse. The artwork was taken down after the Texas Department of Transportation warned the city it could lose $1.6 billion in road funding if it remained.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said the agency was not immediately able to comment, and further details on contracting and construction are still pending.
City leaders expect additional briefings from DHS in the coming months as federal plans progress. Any barrier construction requiring local land access may trigger new legal negotiations — and renewed tension between local governments and Washington.
Originally reported by Berenice Garcia in The Texas Tribune.
