The Trump administration announced on Monday that it is temporarily halting construction of a contentious border project within Texas’ Big Bend National Park. The pause comes as the head of the agency responsible for the border wall conducts an on-site evaluation of the area.
The proposed project through the southern Texas national park has encountered intense bipartisan opposition. Critics argue that the construction is tarnishing the park’s pristine environment, pointing out that the region’s rugged and remote landscape already acts as a natural deterrent to migrants and smugglers. Historically, border crossings in this area have been lower than in other sectors and have decreased even further over the past two years.
“CBP is pausing all construction activity in Big Bend National Park while I visit and conduct a personal, on-the-ground evaluation,” said Rodney Scott, the head of Customs and Border Protection, in a statement on X. Scott noted that over the next few days, he plans to “listen to local leadership, community members, and stakeholders” to address what he described as “real” national security threats while ensuring the protection of the park.
Customs and Border Protection did not respond to inquiries regarding the duration of the construction pause or provide details about who Scott will meet during his visit to Texas.
While it remains uncertain whether this brief suspension will lead to a permanent halt, the move underscores the strength of the bipartisan opposition and represents a rare concession from an administration that has prioritized the rapid completion of the president’s signature campaign promise.
Congress allocated $46 billion to the Trump administration last summer to construct a wall stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. The administration has proceeded aggressively, waiving numerous regulations to expedite the wall’s construction. Scott has previously stated his expectation that the initial layer of the wall will be completed by the end of next year.
However, the administration has encountered significant resistance in Texas, particularly regarding construction in and around Big Bend National Park and a state park to its west.
Earlier this year, Customs and Border Protection withdrew plans to construct a 30-foot-tall bollard wall through the parks. Nonetheless, the agency has continued advancing other border security measures, including the construction of a new road, lighting, vehicle barriers, and advanced technology such as buried fiber-optic cables.
These ongoing measures have sparked widespread opposition from Democratic and Republican sheriffs in the region, former national park officials, local residents whose livelihoods depend on the parks, and Texas elected officials. Critics warn that the infrastructure will scar the rugged landscape, which attracts tourists seeking to raft the Rio Grande River and experience some of the clearest night skies in the United States.
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The sheriff of Brewster County, which encompasses Big Bend National Park, stated on Monday that he will meet with Scott during his visit. He expressed appreciation for the opportunity to show the commissioner the terrain firsthand and hear directly from local residents.
Ronny Dodson, a local resident, expressed concern over potential damage to archaeological sites and Native American burial grounds resulting from the construction of the planned road through the park. Dodson hopes Scott will observe how closely the proposed road mirrors an existing roadway and has requested additional information regarding the security technology the agency intends to deploy.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott mentioned speaking with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin over the weekend, suggesting that the construction pause resulted from their conversation. Abbott stated that the secretary committed to the governor that no wall or barriers would be built in the park, though the governor made no mention of the road construction that has raised concerns among locals.
Last week, bulldozers were observed clearing land within the park, which heightened concerns and prompted questions from one of the state’s Republican senators.
At the time the bulldozers were active, the Department of Homeland Security stated on X that the activities were related to “survey and design work.”
Senator John Cornyn, who recently lost the Republican primary to the state’s attorney general, wrote to Mullin expressing concerns about the construction. “My constituents believe that the 1,000-foot riverbank cliffs and the remote Big Bend terrain offer their own natural deterrent 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 wall-building efforts have accelerated this year along the approximately 2,000-mile border, public opposition has also intensified.
The administration has faced backlash from Native American groups alleging that wall contractors are desecrating religious sites, a small Texas town concerned that the wall will damage its levee system, and a Catholic archdiocese arguing that construction in the El Paso area defaces an important religious site.
Activists opposing the administration’s plans expressed encouragement by the pause but pledged to closely monitor the situation to see if CBP implements significant changes or simply returns to its previous proposals.
Bob Krumenaker, who served as the superintendent of Big Bend National Park from 2018 to 2023 and now chairs the advocacy group “Keep Big Bend Wild,” described himself as “wary but optimistic” following the news of the pause. “They are paying attention to all of the objections that have been raised across the political spectrum,” he noted.
However, Krumenaker suggested that it is unlikely CBP will completely abandon its plans for the region. He and other observers will be watching to see if heavy equipment, such as bulldozers, is removed from the park, if the agency presents a clear and transparent plan moving forward, and if any damage already incurred is repaired. “Let’s hope they significantly modify their plans in response to what they hear, and make it transparent,” he said.
Another advocacy group, which filed a lawsuit against Homeland Security over its decision to broadly waive environmental and other regulations to accelerate construction in the Big Bend region, called the announcement “welcome news.” However, they warned that construction could resume “at any moment.”
“This temporary pause proves how much non-partisan public pressure is mounting in West Texas and across America to stop the irreversible destruction unfolding in this crown jewel national park,” said Laiken Jordahl with the Center for Biological Diversity. “We’re not resting until these contracts are cancelled, these workers are sent packing, the waivers are rescinded, and every wall plan for the greater Big Bend region is scrapped for good.”
(FRANCE 24 with AP)