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ARMAS IS HERE TO EXPLAIN. MARISSA: THE COMPANY DIDN’T TELL ME WHETHER THEY WILL EMPLOY WORKERS IN NEW MEXICO TO HELP BUILD THE PROJECT, BUT A SPOKESPERSON SAYS THEY’VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR OVER 80 YEARS, INCLUDING SIMILAR PROJECTS. A STRETCH OF LAND NEAR MCALLEN, TEXAS IS GETTING A NEW STRETCH OF BORDER WALL, AND AN ALBUQUERQUE-BASED COMPANY IS BUILDING IT. >> ANYBODY THAT’S GOT A GOOD JOB, THAT’S BENEFICAL TO NEW MEXICO, I LOVE SEEING BUSINESS HERE MARISSA: $80 MILLION WORTH OF BUSINESS. LAST WEEK SOUTHWEST VALLEY CONSTRUCTORS WAS AWARDED A CONTRACT BY U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION TO BUILD A NEW 11 MILE STRETCH OF BORDER WALL IN HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS. WHILE IT’S NOT BEING BUILT IN NEW MEXICO, SOME BELIEVE IT WILL STILL HELP OUR ECONOMY. >> ONE IT HELPS THE COMPANY THEY ARE GOING TO BE PAYING TAXES, AND THINGS LIKE THAT ON THE REVENUES THAT THEY GET FROM THIS KIND OF A PROJECT, BUT MOSTLY EMPLOYEES, MOST LIKELY THEY WILL BE HIRING FOLKS FROM NEW MEXICO. MARISSA: IN A STATEMENT A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE COMPANY SAID IN PART, WE’VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR MORE THAN 80 YEARS, INCLUDING PAST COMPONENTS OF VARIOUS BORDER WALL PROGRAMS ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES DATING BACK TO 2006. >> I THINK THE BORDER WALL IS A GOOD IDEA. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS STATE IS THAT IT’S SO UNFREIDNLY TOWARDS BUSINESS, IT’S WONDERFUL SEEING PEOPLE GET GOOD JOBS. MARISSA: OTHERS SAY THIS COMPANY DOING BUSINESS ON SUCH A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE IS A TURN-OFF. >> IT IS DISAPPOINTED TO HEAR THAT A COMPANY IN ALBUQUERQUE IS CONTRIBUTING TO THAT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE ALBUQUERQUE IS SUCH A DIVERSE PLACE WITH PRETTY STRONG INTERESTS AGAINST BORDER MARISSA: CONSTRUCTION FOR THAT PORTION OF THE BORDER WALL IN HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS, COULD START AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER. THE DEAL COULD REACH UP TO $304 MILLION. MARISSA ARMAS, KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS. CHRISTINE CBP SAYS THIS PART OF : THE WALL WILL BE VERY SIMILAR TO A PREVIOUSLY CONSTRUCTED LEVEE WALL, BUILT IN THE AREA IN 2008. IT INCLUDES LIGHTS, CAMERAS AND OTHER TECHNO

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An 11-mile stretch of new border wall is being built in Texas by an Albuquerque-based company, but how will it help our state's economy and by how much?Last week, Southwest Valley Constructors was awarded a more than $80 million contract by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to build the new stretch in Hidalgo County, Texas, which is where McAllen, Texas is located."It's great that a New Mexico company was picked for part of the project, and it's a lot of money," said John Garcia with the Home Builders Association of Central New Mexico. "One, it helps the company. They are going to be paying taxes, and things like that on the revenues that they get from this kind of a project, but mostly employees. Most likely, they will be hiring folks from New Mexico."KOAT reached out to the company and a spokesperson sent us the following statement: "Southwest Valley Constructors, an affiliate of Kiewit, has been awarded a border wall project by long-time client, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. We take our responsibilities as a federal contractor seriously — we’ve been working with the federal government for more than 80 years, including past components of various border wall programs across the Southwest United States dating back to 2006." It's unclear whether the company will employ workers from New Mexico, but some said it's a smart move. "I think the border wall is a good idea," Tom Parry said. "Any time we can get more business here, the problem with this state is that it's so unfriendly towards business. It's wonderful seeing people get good jobs."Others think it's bad business. "It is disappointing to hear that a company in Albuquerque is contributing to that," said Katie Starkweather. "Especially because Albuquerque is such a diverse place with pretty strong interests against borders."CBP officials said this part of the wall will be very similar to a previously constructed levee wall, built in the area in 2008, which includes lights, cameras and other technology. The deal could reach up to $304 million. Construction for that portion of the border wall in Hidalgo County, Texas could start at the end of September.