The Trump administration has officially restarted border wall construction, awarding a $70 million contract for the first new section of the wall since President Donald Trump returned to office.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed the contract was awarded to Granite Construction Co., based in Watsonville, California. The project will cover a seven-mile stretch in Hidalgo County, Texas, within the Rio Grande Valley sector, an area frequently exploited by illegal migrants, drug traffickers and human smugglers.

🚨BREAKING: Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announces 7 MORE MILES of border wall is being built starting today.
pic.twitter.com/TTukbg9blz

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 16, 2025

According to CBP, this section of the wall is meant to close critical gaps left behind when the Biden administration halted construction. After President Trump signed executive orders declaring a national emergency at the border, his administration directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to take immediate steps to resume building physical barriers.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem traveled to the border over the weekend to highlight the administration’s progress. In a video posted on X, she stood at the border where the previous wall construction had stopped, announcing, “As of today, we’re starting seven new miles of construction. We’re going to continue to make America safe again.”

The Trump administration has made swift progress in restoring security at the border. In just 50 days, illegal crossings have dropped by 95%, a stark contrast to the surge seen under President Joe Biden. Reports indicate that daily encounters have reached some of their lowest levels since the Border Patrol began tracking numbers.

Vice President J.D. Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard also visited the border to assess ongoing security efforts. When asked how much of the wall the administration intends to complete, Vance made it clear: “We hope to build the entire wall.”

During Trump’s first term, DHS completed 450 miles of new border wall before Biden halted construction. Now, with border security a top priority, the administration is moving quickly to fulfill its commitment to securing the southern border.