Trump administration temporarily pauses border wall work in Big Bend National Park

The Trump administration has temporarily halted construction of the planned border barrier through Big Bend National Park in Texas while senior officials complete an on-site assessment, officials said.

The project, which would place new fencing and other barriers across remote sections of the park in southern Texas, has drawn intense opposition from lawmakers in both major U.S. parties and from conservation groups that warn construction would harm a largely undisturbed landscape. Critics also note that the park’s rugged terrain and remoteness already limit migrant and smuggling crossings, and that crossings there have historically been lower than in other sectors — and have fallen further in the last two years.

CBP chief to inspect and consult locally

“CBP is pausing all construction activities in Big Bend National Park while I visit and conduct a personal assessment of the terrain,” said Rodney Scott, who leads Customs and Border Protection, in a post on X. He added that in the coming days he will “listen to local leadership, community members and stakeholders” to address what he called “real” threats to national security, while also protecting the park.

Congress provided the administration with $46 billion last summer to fund a border wall stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, and the administration moved quickly to advance sections of the program, at times waiving or rolling back environmental and other regulations to speed construction.

Opponents of the plan said they were buoyed by the pause but warned they would watch closely to see whether the stoppage leads to substantive changes in the proposal or is only a brief delay before work resumes.

Photo: US Customs and Border Protection / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)