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Admin Pauses Border Project in Texas 08/18 06:17
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Trump administration said Monday it is temporarily
pausing construction of a contentious border construction project in Texas' Big
Bend National Park while the head of the agency tasked with building the wall
visits to do an "on-the-ground evaluation."
The project through the national park in southern Texas has faced fierce
bipartisan opposition by 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 other regions and have dropped 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," Rodney Scott, who
heads Customs and Border Protection, said on X. Scott said over the next couple
of days, he was going to "listen to local leadership, community members and
stakeholders" to address what he said were "real" national security threats
while protecting the park.
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.
A rare concession from Trump administration
While it isn't clear whether the brief suspension portended a more permanent
halt to the 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 fiber 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 livelihood 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 U.S.
to gaze at stars.
The sheriff of Brewster County, which includes Big Bend National Park, said
Monday that he'll be meeting with Scott during his trip and that he was glad
the commissioner was going to have the opportunity to see the terrain with his
own eyes and hear firsthand from people in the region.
Ronny Dodson is concerned about possible damage to archeological 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.
Bulldozers seen recently in park clearing land
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 offers its 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 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 praise the pause but say it's only a first step
Activists who have been rallying opposition to the administration's plans
said they were encouraged by the pause but they 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 organization "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. Krumenaker said he and others would be watching to see
whether the equipment like the bulldozers is removed from the park, the agency
outlines a clear plan going forward and it repairs any damage already done.
"Let's hope they significantly modify their plans in response to what they
hear, and make it transparent," he said.
Another group, which sued Homeland Security over its decision to broadly
waive regulations to speed up construction projects in the Big Bend region,
called the announcement "welcome news" but 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 canceled, these workers are
sent packing, the waivers are rescinded and every wall plan for the greater Big
Bend region is scrapped for good."
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