Trump Administration May Scale Back Border Project in Big Bend, Texas
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
The Donald Trump administration is considering reducing the scope of a border project through Big Bend National Park in Texas, a controversial initiative that has faced bipartisan opposition due to concerns it could irreversibly damage the remote and majestic area. The announcement regarding plans for the national park, made in two court filings late Tuesday, does not provide details on what the government will do. In August, the Republican administration paused construction-related activities in the park while engaging with project opponents. This pause ends on Wednesday. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is 'actively considering adjustments' to the work 'that would reduce its scope and avoid or minimize potential impacts, based on feedback received from the National Park Service and other stakeholders,' the government stated in the court filing. The agency noted it will make a final decision in the first week of October and that 'several weeks' will pass after that announcement before any 'ground-altering work' begins. Following intense opposition from environmentalists, local residents, and business owners, the CBP reversed plans this year to build a 30-foot bollard wall through the park. However, its intention to proceed with other measures, such as a new road, lights, vehicle barriers, and technology, did not quell local resistance. After excavators were spotted clearing land in Big Bend in August, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott announced a pause on all activity there, which was later extended to the upstream area of the park. The agency has stated it was only conducting design and planning work, not large-scale construction activities. Opponents of the project urged the administration on Wednesday to maintain the pause while it develops a new plan. Bob Krumenaker, director of Keep Big Bend Wild and former superintendent of the park in the National Park Service, stated in a release that the Border Patrol is already working with the park service and local police to operate an 'effective surveillance system' in Big Bend that includes ground sensors and patrols. The Coalition to Protect America's National Parks argued that building in the park would 'mutilate an extraordinary landscape.' The project is part of a $46 billion government plan to cover the U.S.-Mexico border with steel bollard walls, vehicle barriers, and surveillance technology to deter migrants and traffickers. The government has also paused work on a 61-mile stretch of land extending north of the national park along the Rio Grande, most of which belongs to private owners. In that area, the government plans to build a 30-foot steel bollard wall designed to prevent foot crossings, roads, and various types of surveillance technology where appropriate, according to the court filing. The CBP has begun constructing the wall in part of West Texas within the broader Big Bend region but has faced intense opposition there, including from property owners challenging the project in court. Also in the court filing submitted Tuesday, the government suggested it is facing resistance in obtaining permission from property owners to conduct studies and build on their land, and that it would refer some cases to the Department of Justice to push for eminent domain. The government also detailed efforts it had made to meet with individuals potentially affected by the projects in Big Bend and shared with them incidents of cartel-related violence that concerned the Border Patrol. The administration has been pushing the border wall projects, which have long been a key part of President Donald Trump's vision for border security. The agency indicated it is constructing 12 miles of wall per week. However, private property owners, indigenous tribes, environmental groups, and others oppose the project, questioning its necessity and cost at a time when illegal immigration has drastically declined. Opponents also accuse the government of damaging indigenous sites and sensitive ecological areas in its rush to complete construction.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
