This article was updated on Aug. 18 at 8:53 PM EST with a statement from former Superintendent of Big Bend National Park Bob Krumenaker,
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Rodney Scott said on Monday that he has paused construction of the border wall at Big Bend National Park. Earlier this year, the Trump administration first announced plans to build the wall in the Texas park, prompting backlash from locals and environmental groups.
The initial proposal was for 17 miles of metal barriers, over 200 miles of patrol roads, communications and power cables, and other surveillance systems. CBP previously told TheTravel that it is still “in the initial stages of planning and design.” However, bulldozing soon began to kick off the $1.7 billion project on August 5.
CBP Boss Rodney Scott Pauses Construction Of Big Bend Border Wall
In an August 17 post on X, Scott recorded himself at an airport announcing the halt and outlining his next steps. He added that he plans to evaluate and speak with people before announcing what’s to come next for the project.
“I just landed in Texas, headed to Big Bend National Park. Last night, I put a pause on all activity in that park as far as construction goes until I can get down there and do a personal evaluation, talk to some stakeholders, talk to local law enforcement in that area, and more to follow this week,” he said.
The commissioner stated in the post’s caption that the agency “is firmly committed to protecting America, and that includes our national treasures like Big Bend National Park (BBNP).”
For his evaluation, he said it would focus on the terrain, and he would also speak with local leadership and community members.
Bob Krumenaker, former Superintendent of Big Bend National Park from 2018 to 2023 and chair of advocacy organization Keep Big Bend Wild, said in a statement that the pause is encouraging.
“While this is encouraging, it’s premature to declare victory. But Commissioner Scott’s presence on site and his temporary pause are clear signs that the administration is feeling the pressure from their constituents. The people have overwhelmingly made it clear that they do not want to see Big Bend National Park harmed by massive construction activities that will do little, if any, to increase border security in the border sector that has the least illegal activity anywhere on the US southern border. A famous Republican President said ‘Trust, but verify.’ What happens after Mr. Scott’s visit will be critical,” Krumenaker said in a statement to TheTravel.
Krumenaker previously sent TheTravel photos of the construction in the park. He told TheTravel that “bulldozers are clearing a right of way for a new road, likely a ‘patrol road.’”
CBP has said it would use existing roads and has not explained the new addition alongside an existing road. The new “patrol road” leads toward the popular Cottonwood Campground and the Castolon Historic District.
“The consequences for Cottonwood Campground are unknown, but likely devastating,” Krumenaker stated.
Krumenaker, along with other former national park superintendents and a former deputy superintendent, previously wrote an open letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin asking what the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and CBP plan to build.
Backlash Surrounding The Border Wall Plan At Big Bend National Park
Krumenaker, along with other former national park heads, called the DHS’ June 9 waiver “devastating,” as it permits border security infrastructure to be built inside the park without environmental or cultural compliance or public involvement.
“This was devastating news, though not unexpected,” the former park leaders wrote in the letter sent to TheTravel.
The letter also provided suggestions on how the project could still occur, but with a focus on preventing harm to the park.
“We write today to respectfully suggest that it is still possible to enhance border security in Big Bend National Park without destroying what makes it one of America’s most treasured landscapes,” they wrote.
The former superintendents, who cited letters Scott sent to Congress praising the park’s landscapes, said the agency must prevent what they described as “wholesale and unaccountable destruction” of the park’s natural, cultural, and scenic resources.
It also added that it would serve as a major blow to the area’s tourism economy, which locals had raised concerns about months earlier. Texas Senator John Cornyn also raised concerns with officials about the project’s impact.
“Many residents that live and work around the parks are also concerned that a physical wall, which would be accompanied by lighting systems, access roads, and maintenance corridors, would (1) ruin the beauty, landscape, and wildlife of the park, (2) threaten culturally significant Native American sites, (3) disrupt wildlife migration, (4) limit access to the Rio Grande River, and (5) significantly harm the local economy as tourism is a major economic driver for the region,” the Republican wrote in an Aug. 7 open letter.
Although CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott previously said the agency would not build a border wall inside Big Bend, former park leaders question the government’s true intentions and its lack of clarity.
Construction Plan At Big Bend National Park Remains Murky
CBP made a Smart Wall Map available on its official website. However, according to Krumenaker, it contains “confusing details and contradictions. Perhaps it is a clerical error. But it serves to further obscure whatever the actual plans are.”
The project’s plans have been murky from the start. The Smart Wall Map has been repeatedly altered.
For example, it first removed, then reintroduced, a border wall within the boundaries of the more than 1,200-square-mile park. In early August, the agency updated the document showing a new route on Mariscal Mountain, a limestone ridge within the park that contains the historic Mariscal Mine.
CBP previously told TheTravel that it does not intend to blast the mountain for road construction.
“CBP has no plans for blasting of Mariscal Mountain in the Big Bend National Park. CBP is planning for approximately 200 miles of patrol roads and detection technology along with approximately 17 miles of non-contiguous areas of vehicle barriers in strategic locations in the US Border Patrol’s Big Bend Sector, Alpine Station Area of Responsibility,” a spokesperson told TheTravel.
CBP said it would work with the National Park Service (NPS) “to ensure that access to the Rio Grande River and hiking trails such as the Mariscal trail remain accessible at the park during and after construction.”
Despite 89,000 illegal immigrants attempting to cross the border between fiscal years 2021 and 2025, last year represented a 74% decline from 2023, according to CBP. TheTravel has contacted CBP for comment.
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