UPDATE
Aug 17, 2026 2:27 PM CDT
The Trump administration said Monday it's pausing construction of a border project through Big Bend National Park in Texas that has met with opposition. Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a video statement that the work will stop "until I can get down there and do a personal evaluation, talk to some stakeholders, talk to local law enforcement in that area," USA Today reports. "More to follow this week."
Aug 12, 2026 9:11 AM CDT
Big Bend National Park, long a magnet for hikers and birders, is now seeing bulldozers as part of President Trump's $46.5 billion border security buildout, reports the Washington Post. Contractors have begun scraping a patrol road corridor along the Rio Grande, with satellite imagery showing fresh vehicle tracks and cleared ground where javelinas and other wildlife roam. US Customs and Border Protection says it's in the "clearing and grubbing" phase for a project that includes cameras, sensors, and 17 miles of 4- to 6-foot vehicle barriers—but not the 30-foot bollard wall seen elsewhere on the border.
The Department of Homeland Security has waived compliance with laws including the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, alarming a bipartisan mix of locals, scientists, and officials who say remote wilderness and critical habitat are already being damaged in an area with relatively low illegal crossings. Critics warn the planned patrol road over rocky Mariscal Mountain will likely require blasting, with a former park superintendent calling it unavoidable and potentially harmful to peregrine falcons and river views. It's not the only activity in the area: The Big Bend Sentinel reports that a nearby 250-acre RV park recently sold to a company that builds temporary housing for construction workers.
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