U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Finalizes $150 Million Grant to Enhance Border Security Infrastructure

New agreement also descopes wasteful Green New Deal requirements

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced an agreement has been executed for a $150 million federal grant to construct a new road and Port of Entry facility for the San Diego-Baja California border region (Otay Mesa). These investments will enhance border security by providing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with state-of-the-art inspection facilities. The new agreement also removed previous Green New Deal requirements, including a zero-emission vehicle charging provision, which was a waste of taxpayer funds and irrelevant to CBP’s national security mission. The Otay Mesa East Port of Entry project was first awarded a grant from the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects (INFRA) program in September 2022.

“Thanks to the prior administration’s lack of focus, this critical project sat in limbo for two years. No more. We moved to finalize this deal so we can help protect our Southern border and crack down on drug trafficking while preventing tax dollars subsidizing pointless Green New Deal priorities,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “This department will continue to clear the previous administration’s unprecedented grants backlog and deliver results.”

Reminder:

The Trump Administration inherited more than 3,200 unobligated grants that had been promoted by the previous administration but never fulfilled. This unprecedented backlog of unobligated grants delayed critical investments in communities across the country. Under Secretary Duffy’s leadership, the Department is working diligently to accelerate the distribution of these long-overdue funds and address core infrastructure projects.

Additional Background:

The Otay Mesa project will construct a new 21st century border crossing east of the existing Otay Mesa Port of Entry. This will enhance border security with state-of-the-art inspection equipment for Customs and Border Protection, a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facility, and the deployment of intelligent transportation technologies to manage traffic demand through dynamic tolling, increase inspection efficiency, and bolster cross border trade.

The project will improve the movement of freight and reduce congestion, bringing economic benefits and spurring job creation throughout Southern California. The new Port of Entry will provide an alternative for nearly 3,600 trucks that cross the existing Otay Mesa and Tecate Ports of Entry daily, which are operating at capacity. The project facilitates freight moving across borders to destinations at nearby distribution centers and warehouses in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and the Inland Empire’s mega-distribution centers in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.