Border Security Pauses At Big Bend To Protect The Park From Border Security

SAN ANTONIO—The federal government agreed in court to stop border-related construction in Big Bend National Park until September 15, temporarily protecting the national park from the project assigned to protect the national border.

Customs and Border Protection had already paused activity after Commissioner Rodney Scott visited the park last week. Bulldozers had begun clearing land, prompting objections from residents, environmental groups, Indigenous advocates, landowners, and elected officials. The Department of Homeland Security said the equipment was conducting design and survey work rather than beginning full construction, an important distinction for terrain already moved by heavy machinery.

Government plans have included a new road, detection equipment, and barriers intended to stop vehicles. During Friday’s hearing, a Justice Department lawyer emphasized that no final decision had been made about what would actually be built. The pause covers the park and another section of land to its west, giving the design process time to reach the construction site.

The work belongs to a $46 billion administration plan for walls, vehicle barriers, and surveillance technology across the 2,000-mile southern border. Lawsuits allege that officials unlawfully waived environmental protections and endangered burial grounds, sacred landscapes, and access needed for Indigenous religious practices. The government says Congress granted broad authority to build border infrastructure.

U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia urged the parties to use the pause to find common ground. Until then, the machinery will remain available to defend Big Bend as soon as the government decides which parts of Big Bend require defense from the machinery.