Heavy machinery has started preparatory work at Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas as part of the Trump administration’s border security infrastructure project. Activists monitoring the site captured video footage showing bulldozers operating at the mouth of Santa Elena Canyon, a prominent feature within the park’s 800,000-acre expanse. The activity marks the beginning of ground disturbance for planned patrol roads and vehicle barriers in the region.
The Trump administration has pursued border security installations in Big Bend since Congress allocated $46.5 billion for border wall expansion in a spending bill signed into law last year. Initial plans announced in February called for a 30-foot steel bollard wall, but those were scaled back following significant opposition. The current plan encompasses approximately 200 miles of new patrol roads and four sections of vehicle barriers totaling 17 miles, with the Department of Homeland Security waiving numerous federal environmental and cultural protection laws to expedite construction.
Customs and Border Protection initially disputed that bulldozers were working on the border project, claiming the activity involved road regrading from storm damage. CBP later clarified that the equipment was conducting soil assessment work. CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott stated this week that the bulldozers were performing survey and design work rather than actual construction, though opponents argue substantial ground disturbance is already occurring. Immigration authorities reported between 100 and 125 annual arrests in the park during 2023 and 2024, with numbers likely declining further following the administration’s broader immigration crackdown that began this year.
Opposition to the project spans both political parties, with local business owners, river guides, and Democratic members of Congress criticizing the plan to develop wilderness for border security purposes. However, prominent Texas Republicans have largely remained silent on the matter. An outgoing U.S. senator requested the homeland security secretary halt construction to allow additional community input. Legal challenges are underway, with environmental groups and river guides suing to overturn the decision to waive federal protections, arguing the action violated constitutional due process rights.
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