Big Bend border project paused after Texas backlash

US President Donald Trump's administration paused construction on a $1.7 billion border project at Big Bend National Park in Texas after bipartisan local opposition to work on the protected public lands.

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a video posted on X on Monday that he had paused all construction activity in the park until he visits and conducts a personal evaluation. He said he would speak with local stakeholders and that more updates would follow this week.

The Department of Homeland Security plans to build vehicle barriers, patrol roads, lighting and detection technology across the park, which includes desert, river and mountain ecosystems and is home to Santa Elena Canyon. Bulldozers broke ground earlier this month.

An official map for the project shows a technology and patrol road crossing rugged territory, including Mariscal Mountain. Critics say the route could require extensive dynamite blasting.

The Trump administration waived dozens of environmental laws to approve the project, which was awarded through a non-competitive process as part of Trump's broader border wall push with Mexico.

Opposition has included all 14 Texas border county judges, who signed an open letter saying they supported border security but wanted more practical solutions. Five West Texas sheriffs also wrote to federal officials saying advanced surveillance technology would be better suited to stopping undocumented migration in the rugged terrain.

Customs and Border Protection data cited in the item showed 9,624 migrant apprehensions in the Big Bend Sector from January 2024 to July 2026, compared with 23,080 in the Swanton Sector of the US-Canada border over the same period.

The Center for Biological Diversity has sued the government to block the project, alleging that the legal waivers violated the Constitution, and planned to seek an emergency injunction on Monday. Laiken Jordahl, a public lands advocate at the nonprofit, said the pause was welcome but that the group was not treating it as a victory because it could be lifted.