The Trump administration announced Monday it was pausing a border construction project at Big Bend National Park in Texas for further evaluation after facing a wave of bipartisan opposition to it.
The proposed project in Big Bend National Park, a massive protected area in southwest Texas along the U.S.-Mexico border, has drawn bipartisan opposition over environmental concerns in the park and caused a rift within the Republican Party.
“Last night, I put a pause on all activity in that park as far as construction goes till I can get down there and do a personal evaluation, talk to some stakeholders, talk to some local law enforcement in that area,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a video posted Monday on social media.
The project began after Congress approved more than $46 billion in funding last month for border security infrastructure, including steel fencing, water barriers, special access roads for law enforcement and advanced surveillance technology such as sensors, cameras and towers.
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, who previously offered thousands of acres of land to President Donald Trump to construct “deportation facilities,” sent a cease and desist letter to CBP and a federal contractor in July, accusing the agency of clearing land in the region “illegally.”
“This is not about border security — it’s about the sovereignty of the state of Texas. It is absolutely unacceptable for any federal contractor to enter and deface Texas state lands,” Buckingham wrote.
Outgoing Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, also wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin earlier this month, arguing that there is no need for a wall or barrier in the area because of its dangerous terrain of mountains, canyons and deserts.
“My constituents believe that the 1,000-foot riverbank cliffs and remote Big Bend terrain offers its own source of deterrence,” Cornyn wrote.
Environmental advocacy groups opposed to the project have also warned that work in the area, including extensive bulldozing, could disrupt the natural ecosystem. Land advocates pointed to waivers signed by Mullin, that exempted the project from numerous environmental, public health and historic preservation laws to allow construction. The waivers took effect July 27.
Local community activist groups also say that more than 500 private land owners face losing access to the Rio Grande River if such a wall is built.
On Thursday, Scott denied that a 30-foot wall was being constructed in the park, saying the project instead involves “one new access road, improving existing roads, installing detection technology and placing vehicle barriers in limited, strategic locations.”
“What people are seeing right now is survey and design work — NOT construction of a wall through the park,” he said in a statement. “We are working to preserve the landscape and protect the access visitors and local businesses depend on.”
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