Customs and Border Protection announced a pause in construction activities at Big Bend National Park in Texas on Monday, according to CBP Director Rodney Scott. Scott stated he would conduct a personal evaluation of the project while on site.
Construction footage of heavy machinery working through the Chihuahuan desert region surfaced earlier in the month. The Trump administration had not publicly announced the project and initially denied construction was underway. Last year, Congress approved $46.5 billion for border wall expansion, which Trump signed into law on 4 July 2025 as part of a broader spending measure.
The construction activity in Texas’s largest and most-visited national park prompted objections from environmental advocates. The Center for Biological Diversity characterized the work as creating new roads through a valued portion of the protected area. Additionally, Texas Senator John Cornyn, who is departing office, wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin requesting a halt to construction. Cornyn argued that the natural terrain and topography of Big Bend already present inherent barriers to unauthorized border crossings.
Most Texas Republicans have not made public statements regarding the construction project. Scott previously indicated that CBP expects to complete the initial wall construction phase by year’s end next year.
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