(AFP) – President Donald Trump’s administration said Monday it had paused construction on a $1.7 billion border project at Big Bend National Park in Texas that has faced fierce local opposition across party lines. The Department of Homeland Security plans to build vehicle barriers, patrol roads, lighting, and detection technology across the park, known for its spectacular views and rich biodiversity, including hundreds of bird species, bobcats, and black bears.
Bulldozers broke ground earlier this month on the public lands that blend desert, river, and mountain ecosystems and are home to the famed Santa Elena Canyon. An official map for the project shows a “technology and patrol road” would cross rugged territory — including the Mariscal Mountain — which critics say would require extensive dynamite blasting. “Last night, I put a pause on all activity in that park as far as construction goes, until I get down there and do a personal evaluation,” Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a short video posted Monday on X, adding he would talk with local stakeholders and that more updates would come this week.
The Trump administration has waived dozens of environmental laws to greenlight the project, which was awarded through a non-competitive process as part of the president’s broader push to build an immense border wall with Mexico.
There has been a bipartisan backlash from residents and local officials, including all 14 Texas border county judges, who signed an open letter saying they supported border security but wanted more “practical solutions.” According to CBP’s data, there are relatively few migrant apprehensions in the Big Bend Sector — 9,624 between January 2024 and July 2026, compared to 23,080 in the Swanton Sector of the US-Canada border over the same period.
Jake Knight, executive director of the Big Bend Protection Alliance, gestured to the rugged borderlands behind him, telling AFP: “It’s quite literally impossible to traverse, whether on foot or in a vehicle, from the other side into this area. Furthermore, this is not the will of the people of this region.”
“These are some concerned locals who are really worried about this Big Bend border barrier project,” said Bernadette Devine, a 63-year-old teacher, during a protest. “There’s a no-bid contract for $1.7 billion in our national park. And that’s an awful lot of money to spend. So we know that they will destroy things. They’re already in there right now.”
The nonprofit Center for Biological Diversity has sued the government to block the project, alleging the waivers violated the Constitution, and plans to file for an emergency injunction on Monday. “I’ve never seen communities so outraged and unified on a single flight, this has become a serious force to be reckoned with,” Laiken Jordahl, a national public lands advocate at the nonprofit, told AFP. “And while it’s certainly welcome news that the bulldozers aren’t carving in the national park today, it is very likely that the pause will be lifted; we’re not considering this a victory yet.”
– Gianrigo Marletta, with Issam Ahmed in Washington.
© 2024 AFP
