Border Patrol Pivots To Prep: $4.5B Smart Wall, Checkpoint Upgrades, And Hiring Surge As Agents Aid ICE Deportation Arrests

With illegal crossings at historic lows, Border Patrol is shifting from crisis response to long-term readiness: accelerating $4.5B in Smart Wall and checkpoint upgrades, investing in tech and facilities via the One Big, Beautiful Bill, and pursuing a hiring/retention push while keeping training standards high. Agents are also augmenting ICE to pursue criminal noncitizens and deportation orders. Leaders aim to codify select Trump-era executive actions and rebuild leadership capacity to sustain operations across multiple Southwest sectors.