Laredo council hears staff update on Border Patrol "smart wall," residents press for independent flood study and data sharing

Laredo’s City Council held a special meeting April 16 to review federal Border Patrol plans for a "smart wall" along stretches of the Rio Grande and to hear dozens of residents and landowners who warned the project could worsen flooding.

Staff summarized the city’s long-running coordination with Border Patrol and consultants, outlined design elements the agency has described (a 28–30 foot physical barrier with buoys and technology), and said the federal government has provided partial maps and has agreed to supply additional design and modeling data. The presenter (staff member) said the city is asking for that data and is preparing to "trust but verify" with independent technical reviews: "Right of entry is not project approval," the staff member said, adding that the requested access primarily supports surveys, borings and data collection rather than immediate construction.

Why it matters: Residents, landowners and advisory-committee members repeatedly told the council that the only detailed analysis available (the Tompkins report, commissioned by…