The Customs and Border Protection agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is considering spending more than $500M on five new and expanded facilities in Arizona.
AZBEX previously reported on a planned expansion of the U.S. Border Patrol’s planned expansion of its Nogales I-19 checkpoint in Santa Cruz in our Aug. 25 subscriber-only edition.
No calls for public input have been issued yet, but the projects will likely require a public comment period under the National Environmental Policy Act, according to sources cited in an area news outlet’s coverage.
In addition to the previously reported Nogales checkpoint expansion, the projects published under the Acquisition Planning Forecast System include a design-build project for an 87-acre site in Three Points with capacity for up to 500 agents, according to the planning website. The contract type specifies a firm, fixed price, and the notice sets the cost estimate at more than $100M.
The local article noted the proposed site is on 87 acres of Bureau of Land Management land on State Route 86. CBP officials sent a letter to Pima County last month saying an environmental assessment is being prepared.
A 300-agent facility is under consideration for the Casa Grande area. CBP and its partner agencies are looking for a design-build contractor to build the station and associated infrastructure, with a cost estimate of more than $100M.
Also carrying an estimate of more than $100M is a design-build proposal for a new station in Sonoita with capacity for 200 agents, according to APFS. The article says two locations, one of 40 acres and one of 75, are being considered.
The 40-acre location is on an undeveloped site near Elgin Elementary School, which sits east of State Route 83. The 75-acre potential site is near the existing Sonoita station and situated along state routes 82 and 83.
Both the I-19 checkpoint expansion and a separate Welton checkpoint on Interstate 8 west of Dateland carry cost estimates of $50M-$100M. Under both notices, CBP and its partners are looking for architectural and engineering design and new facility construction services for the design-build of a new checkpoint and supporting facilities at the chosen locations.
The article said CBP has also approached Arizona Land and Water Trust looking to buy land near a Border Patrol checkpoint on West Arivaca Road, but ALWT has declined to sell.
Opposition has already arisen from several sources, including environmental groups and activists, various government officials concerned about the lack of communication or input at this point in the process, immigration activists who question the need for additional facilities, and other members of the public.
A spokesperson for CBP said in a statement, “We are in the early planning stages for new and modernized Border Patrol stations and checkpoints across the Southwest border. These investments will replace aging facilities, strengthen operations in key locations, and give our agents the resources they need to stop human and drug smugglers.”
Representatives also said requests for public input will be issued in the future.
Funding for the projects will be provided under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law in July 2025. All projects will be awarded via competitive bids.
The two checkpoint notices were issued in July and are expected to be awarded in Q4 of this year. The targeted completion date is Sept. 30, 2029.
The three station projects were released in September. The contract awards are expected in Q1 of Fiscal Year 2027, with completions expected by Sept. 1, 2029.
