Trump Admin Stops Big Bend Border Construction After Bipartisan Backlash

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Donald Trump’s administration announced Monday that it is pausing all border construction in Big Bend National Park following bipartisan backlash over the project’s potential impact on the West Texas wilderness.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott announced the halt, adding he had just landed in Texas to travel to the park for an “on-the-ground evaluation” and to meet with folks there before determining how to proceed.

His full message read:

CBP is pausing all construction activity in Big Bend National Park while I visit and conduct a personal, on-the-ground evaluation.

CBP is firmly committed to protecting America, and that includes our national treasures like Big Bend National Park (BBNP). We know the current and predictable national security threats and they are real. Now over the next couple of days, I will join a small team to evaluate the terrain and listen to local leadership, community members and stakeholders to ensure that we secure our borders while simultaneously protecting BBNP for generations to come.

The construction is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to expand security infrastructure along the U.S.-Mexico border. Crews began clearing land inside the national park earlier this month for a new Border Patrol access road, with plans also calling for vehicle barriers and detection technology along portions of the border.

The work quickly drew concerns over its potential environmental impact, particularly because construction was taking place near Santa Elena Canyon and habitat designated as critical for the threatened yellow-billed cuckoo. The Department of Homeland Security also waived compliance with dozens of federal laws, including the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, to allow the project to move forward.

Among those raising objections was Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin last week urging the administration to address the environmental concerns. His statement drew applause from those on the other side of the aisle, including Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico, who said, “I applaud Senator Cornyn for taking action on this corrupt Big Bend Border Wall.”

Not to mention, the two candidates running to replace former Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX), Republican Brandon Herrera and Democrat Katy Padilla Stout, have long opposed the project as well. Texas State Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D) is also serving as an attorney in a lawsuit filed Friday seeking to halt the project over concerns that construction could damage archaeological sites and areas sacred to indigenous communities.

Ryan Chandler, a correspondent for NBC News, wrote of Scott’s Monday video, “Notably conciliatory tone here and I would say a testament to the real impact public pressure has had. Welcome to Texas, sir.”

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