New Border Patrol Station in Houlton on Hold

The construction of a new border patrol station in Houlton is on hold after the Department of Homeland Security said the funds have been reallocated to Texas.

Funds for Border Patrol Building in Houlton have been Reallocated

Senator Susan Collins said it could be as long as five years before appropriations are made available to fund a new facility and work can be done in Houlton.

DHS Said the Price to Build has Almost Double

The $35 million dollars that was slated to go towards the construction in Aroostook County will go to Laredo, Texas to develop an air facility, according to the Bangor Daily News. The Department of Homeland Security determined that the cost to build the border facility in Houlton would almost double to $66 million as a result of inflation and supply chain issues.

New Site Design

The proposed new Houlton facility is 23,000 sq. ft. with training areas and a firing range. The main building would be about 16,000 sq. ft. The station will also include a heliport and a 14 vehicle storage space for ATVs and snowmobiles, plus a place to store four boats. The design site is on an undeveloped area north of I-95 and Houlton.

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Statement from Senator Susan Collins

Senator Collins said, “The facility is in need of replacement due to annual flooding, toxic black mold, contaminated well water. It has a host of problems. I’m concerned that the funds that we previously appropriated for fiscal year ’22 were repurposed. It’s very frustrating to the hardworking Border Patrol agents in northern Maine.”