Trump pauses controversial border construction in Texas national park

The Trump administration on Monday paused construction of a contentious border project in Texas' Big Bend National Park, as the head of Customs and Border Protection travelled to the area to assess the plans amid fierce bipartisan opposition over their potential impact on the remote landscape. The project through the national park in southern Texas has faced fierce bipartisan opposition from critics who say it is marring the area's pristine environment . They argue the region's rugged and remote terrain already serves as a deterrent to migrants and smugglers. Border crossings in the area have historically been lower than in other regions and have dropped even further over the past two years. Customs and Border Protection did not respond to questions about how long the construction was paused or give any details on whom Scott would be meeting with in Texas. While it isn't clear whether the brief suspension portended a more permanent halt to construction in the area, it reflected the intensity of the bipartisan opposition and was a rare concession from the administration on a signature promise of the president's that it has raced to complete. Congress gave the Trump administration $46 billion last summer to build a wall from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico , and the administration has been charging ahead and waiving numerous regulations in an effort to swiftly build the wall. Scott has said he expects the first layer of the wall to be built by the end of next year. But the administration has run into fierce opposition in Texas, especially when it comes to construction in and near Big Bend National Park and a state park to the west. Customs and Border Protection earlier this year backed off plans to build a 30-foot-tall bollard wall through the parks but was still moving forward with other border protection measures such as a new road, lights, barriers designed to stop cars from crossing the border and technology such as buried fibre-optic cables.

That has sparked opposition from Democratic and Republican sheriffs in the region, former national park officials, local residents who rely on the parks for their livelihoods and some Texas elected officials. Critics have said it will scar the rugged landscape that attracts tourists who raft down the Rio Grande River and take advantage of some of the clearest night skies in the US to gaze at stars. Ronny Dodson is concerned about possible damage to archaeological sites and Native American burial grounds caused by construction for the new road that's supposed to be built through the park. He hopes Scott will see how closely the new road mirrors an already existing road, and Dodson said he wants more information about the technology the agency plans to use to secure the border. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he spoke with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin over the weekend and suggested that the construction pause was a result of their talk. Abbott said the secretary committed to the governor that there would be no wall or barriers built in the park, but the governor made no mention of the road building that has concerned local residents. Last week, bulldozers were seen clearing land at the park, sparking even more concern and raising questions from one of the state's Republican senators. At the time the bulldozers were seen, the Department of Homeland Security said on X that they were related to “survey and design work”. Sen.

John Cornyn, who lost the Republican primary to the state's attorney general, wrote to Mullin over construction concerns. “My constituents believe that the 1,000-foot riverbank cliffs and remote Big Bend terrain offer their own source of deterrence for any illegal migrants crossing into the United States. The dangerous terrain includes steep mountains, deep canyons, and expansive deserts which they believe act as a natural barrier that limits large-scale movements,” Cornyn wrote. As the wall-building efforts have shifted into high gear this year along the roughly 2,000-mile border, opposition has spiked as well. The administration has faced criticism from Native American groups saying wall contractors are desecrating religious sites, a small Texas town worried the wall will damage its levee system, and a Catholic archdiocese that says wall construction in the El Paso area mars an important religious site. Activists who have been rallying opposition to the administration's plans said they were encouraged by the pause but would be watching closely to see if CBP makes any significant changes or simply goes back to its previous plans. Bob Krumenaker was the superintendent of Big Bend National Park from 2018 to 2023 and now chairs the organisation “Keep Big Bend Wild”, which aims to preserve the park's wild nature. He said he was “wary but optimistic” after news of the pause. “They are paying attention to all of the objections that have been raised across the political spectrum,” he said. But Krumenaker said it's unlikely that CBP is going to entirely abandon all its plans in the region.

⚡ Effects Interpreter