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Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jan 3, 2025
Finish the Wall Act
This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to resume activities related to the construction of a barrier system along the U.S.-Mexico border and addresses other border-related issues.
DHS must resume all such construction activities that were planned or underway prior to January 20, 2021. DHS must also expend all funds appropriated or explicitly obligated since October 1, 2016, for construction of this barrier system. DHS may not cancel contracts for activities related to such construction entered into on or before January 20, 2021.
Furthermore, within 14 days of this bill's enactment, DHS must certify to Congress that U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities that process adults taken into custody at the border are fully compliant with certain laws related to the collection of DNA. (Among other things, these laws allow for the collection of DNA samples from non-U.S. persons detained under U.S. authority.)
People & committees
Rep. Higgins, Clay [R-LA-3] · R–LA
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Sep 19, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-01-03 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Finish the Wall Act would require the Department of Homeland Security to restart U.S.–Mexico border wall construction that was underway or planned before January 20, 2021. It would also require compliance with an existing federal DNA-collection law at border facilities processing adults in U.S. Customs and Border Protection custody, including adults in families. These requirements would depend on enactment.
This Act may be cited as the Finish the Wall Act.
Not later than 24 hours after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall resume all activities related to the construction of the border barrier system (also known as, and referred to in this Act as, the border wall system) along the international border between the United States and Mexico that were underway or being planned for prior to January 20, 2021.
Not later than 14 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure and certify to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate that U.S. Customs and Border Protection is fully compliant with the DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005 at all border facilities that process adults, including as part of a family unit, in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the border.
Within 24 hours after enactment, the Homeland Security Secretary would have to resume all border wall construction activities along the U.S.–Mexico border that were underway or being planned before January 20, 2021.
Not later than 24 hours after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall resume all activities related to the construction of the border barrier system (also known as, and referred to in this Act as, the border wall system) along the international border between the United States and Mexico that were underway or being planned for prior to January 20, 2021.
The Secretary could not cancel contracts for those construction activities if the contracts were entered into on or before January 20, 2021.
The Secretary of Homeland Security may not cancel any contract for activities related to border wall system construction referred to in paragraph (1) that was entered into on or before January 20, 2021.
The Secretary would have to spend all funds made available by appropriations or explicitly committed for the specified construction beginning October 1, 2016, to carry out the bill. This directs the use of those funds without specifying a dollar amount.
The Secretary of Homeland Security shall expend all funds appropriated or explicitly obligated for border wall system construction referred to in paragraph (1) that were appropriated or obligated, as the case may be, beginning on October 1, 2016, to carry out this Act.
Within 30 days after enactment, the Secretary would have to submit a plan to the designated congressional committees for completing the specified construction, funded through the bill's spending direction, by September 30, 2026.
Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an implementation plan to complete, by not later than September 30, 2026, border wall system construction referred to in paragraph (1) and funded in accordance with paragraph (3).
Within 90 days after enactment, the Secretary would have to submit another implementation plan, with quarterly benchmarks and cost estimates, covering all requirements of the specified construction. It would include infrastructure, technology, and other elements identified by the department before January 20, 2021. The plan would use funds appropriated or explicitly committed for use beginning October 1, 2016, along with any future congressional appropriations; the reference to future funding does not itself provide that funding.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an implementation plan, including quarterly benchmarks and cost estimates, for satisfying all requirements of border wall system construction referred to in subsection (a)(1), including tactical infrastructure, technology, and other elements as identified by the Department of Homeland Security prior to January 20, 2021, through the expenditure of funds appropriated or explicitly obligated, as the case may be, for use beginning on October 1, 2016, as well as any future funds appropriated by Congress.
The bill's construction planning would extend beyond the wall itself. Its definition of supporting infrastructure includes boat ramps, access gates, checkpoints, lighting, and roads. Technology includes border surveillance and detection equipment, including ground detection systems arranged along a line.
The term tactical infrastructure includes boat ramps, access gates, checkpoints, lighting, and roads associated with a border wall system.
The term technology includes border surveillance and detection technology, including linear ground detection systems, associated with a border wall system.
The Secretary would have to ensure that the department honors written agreements concerning current and future border wall construction with private citizens, state, local, and Tribal governments, and other stakeholders, according to those agreements' requirements.
The Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure that all agreements executed in writing between the Department of Homeland Security and private citizens, State, local, and Tribal governments, and other stakeholders are honored by the Department relating to current and future border wall system construction as required by such agreements.
Within 14 days after enactment, the Secretary would have to ensure compliance with the DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005 at all border facilities processing adults in Customs and Border Protection custody, including adults in family units. The Secretary would also have to certify compliance to the House Homeland Security Committee and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Not later than 14 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall ensure and certify to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate that U.S. Customs and Border Protection is fully compliant with the DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005 at all border facilities that process adults, including as part of a family unit, in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the border.
The construction plans would go to the House Homeland Security and Appropriations Committees and the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Appropriations Committees.
the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an implementation plan
The term appropriate congressional committees means the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
The supplied action snapshot, updated September 19, 2026, records introduction in the House and referrals to the House Homeland Security Committee and its Border Security and Enforcement Subcommittee on January 3, 2025. This snapshot does not establish whether later action or enactment occurred.
Source snapshot updated 2026-09-19T23:23:45Z. 2025-01-03: Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement. 2025-01-03: Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security. 2025-01-03: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-01-03. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
Findings to examine
The supplied introduced version contains a possible unrelated provision. This is a subject-matter assessment, not a documented account of a rider being attached.
The DNA-compliance requirement is a possible rider because it addresses processing people in border custody, a separate subject from restarting and completing physical border wall construction. Both concern border operations, so the classification is qualified.
the Secretary of Homeland Security shall resume all activities related to the construction of the border barrier system
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is fully compliant with the DNA Fingerprint Act of 2005 at all border facilities that process adults, including as part of a family unit, in the custody of U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the border.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No earmark was identified in the complete supplied introduced-text version. This conclusion does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The supplied introduced version provides a narrow contractual protection connected to its main construction policy. Classification does not establish improper purpose.
Contractors holding contracts for the specified border wall activities entered into on or before January 20, 2021, would receive protection against cancellation by the Homeland Security Secretary. This protects a defined set of existing contracts as part of the construction restart policy.
The Secretary of Homeland Security may not cancel any contract for activities related to border wall system construction referred to in paragraph (1) that was entered into on or before January 20, 2021.
the Secretary of Homeland Security shall resume all activities related to the construction of the border barrier system (also known as, and referred to in this Act as, the border wall system) along the international border between the United States and Mexico that were underway or being planned for prior to January 20, 2021.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Sep 19, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI