CBP Boss Pauses Controversial Border Construction Project at Big Bend National Park

A top Trump administration official said Monday that construction on a controversial border security project at Big Bend National Park had been paused after months of outrage from local residents and advocacy organizations.

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott confirmed in a post on X that he had halted all construction activity in the park, at least temporarily, as of Sunday night. He also confirmed that he was en route to the park to meet with “stakeholders and local law enforcement in the area.”

NOTUS first reported Scott’s plans to travel to the Big Bend region on Friday.

The visit comes after months of outcry from nearby residents, advocacy groups, lawmakers and local law enforcement. Earlier this year, CBP announced plans for a “smart wall” that included 30-foot physical walls through some of the national park. The plans faced swift backlash, leading the agency to announce that its plans would not include the massive barriers, but would instead be made up of patrol roads, surveillance technology and vehicle barriers.

Concerns escalated earlier this summer when Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin waived a handful of environmental and historical preservation laws, including some aimed at protecting drinking water and endangered species, and a statute requiring federal agencies to return any Native American remains and sacred objects to affiliated tribes.

Tensions again rose when bulldozers were seen clearing land in the national park earlier this month.

The Big Bend Sector has some of the lowest rates of illegal border crossings, particularly within the park. The area has 1,000-foot cliffs in various places, which advocates and local officials say are natural barriers.

CBP did not immediately respond to NOTUS’ request for comment.

It is unclear how long Scott plans to visit the region, or what will happen to the multimillion- dollar contracts that the administration has already awarded for work in the Big Bend region.

The area falls within Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, which has been sitting vacant since Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales resigned in April after admitting to having an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.

In the months since, various Democrat lawmakers have sent letters to Mullin over their concerns for the park, including multiple letters led by Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, urging the administration to reconsider its plans. On Aug. 7, Republican Sen. John Cornyn sent a letter to Mullin urging the administration to coordinate and communicate with stakeholders in the region before moving forward with its plans, becoming the highest-ranking Republican to do so.