Multiple segments of border wall construction are being held up by lack of final sign-off from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Axios has learned from two sources familiar with the delays.
Why it matters: Only 30 miles of border barriers— out of a target of nearly 2,000 miles by 2029 — have been started and completed since the beginning of President Trump's second term.
- Contracts for about 200 miles of border wall barriers had been awarded and were awaiting Noem's signature as of last Tuesday, according to an update memo on border wall construction obtained by Axios.
- A senior DHS official confirmed on Tuesday that the contracts have yet to be signed, saying they're going through the review process at headquarters and are not yet at Noem's desk.
Zoom in: The memo listed three contracts for building in Texas that needed "S1 approval," referring to Noem. But the DHS official said that two of these contracts only just made it to HQ on Tuesday morning.
- "There's some advisors in up front that will go through, from her deputy chiefs of staff or whatever," said the DHS official, who was granted anonymity to candidly discuss the operations of DHS.
- Once a contract is sent to DHS for approval, it first goes to an office specifically to oversee "Big Beautiful Bill" spending, then to the executive secretary and finally to the secretary for her approval, the DHS official said.
- "There are currently no border wall related contracts pending the Secretary and just last year the Secretary reviewed over a thousand contracts related to border security," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
Between the lines: Noem can sign off on these contracts at her discretion, but the official said it typically happens within 24 hours of them reaching her office.
- At times, she signs stacks of contracts and memos in one sitting.
- Noem is holding a press conference in Nogales, Arizona on Wednesday to announce "a major border wall update."
The big picture: There were about 720 miles of primary and secondary border wall already in place when Trump took office last year.
- DHS announced the first border wall contracts in October and December of 2025, totaling about $8 billion, using the $46.5 billion allocated by Congress last July in the "Big Beautiful Bill." (McLaughlin said that spending has now reached $12 billion.)
- The awards will add 412 miles of "Smart Wall" physical barriers and 400 miles of technology investments, according to two press releases.
The intrigue: 83 miles of physical barriers — including primary wall, water barriers and secondary wall — were under construction as of Jan. 28, 2026, according to Customs and Border Protection's Smart Wall map.
- 30 miles have been completed since Jan. 20, 2025. The majority of the border wall structure (and replacement sections) — 1,168 miles — is still in the planning stage.
- On a trip to the border last March, Vice President Vance said success would mean finishing the wall with a combination of physical barriers and technology by the end of Trump's second term. The additional funding from Congress is available through the end of fiscal year 2029.
- The DHS official said that the biggest issue to completing more of the border wall is getting the land to build on. "We're looking at ways to accelerate that process," the official said.
Zoom out: Lawmakers have long complained about Noem's sign-off system for any contract over $100,000, which has also delayed FEMA funds, and her slow communication to their inquiries, as NOTUS reported in November.
- A ProPublica investigation found that a call from a donor in Naples, Florida, sped up repair funding for a historic pier stuck in the sign-off system pipeline.
- Noem's senior adviser Corey Lewandowski, who is officially a temporary employee but acts as a de facto chief of staff, has also been more involved in DHS's contracting — including publicly discussing agency business.
The other side: Noem has approved multiple waivers bypassing environmental laws and regulations that had blocked or slowed down border wall construction.
- "The department takes its fiduciary duty to the American taxpayer seriously, putting any contract through a full review, resulting in over $13 Billion saved under Secretary Noem," McLaughlin said.
- CBP did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
