Texas' Big Bend braces for border wall in national park, worrying local Republicans and Democrats

[LetMyPeopleVote]

Locals say the rugged land is enough of a barrier and they're concerned about the impact on the environment and homeowners as the Department of Homeland Security forges ahead

Texas’ Big Bend braces for border wall in national park, worrying local Republicans and Democrats

Two hours from the closest stoplight, the Rio Grande runs through rugged canyons under the darkest skies in the Lower 48 states, carving cliffs that drop 1,500 feet below the desert floor of the…

— Ayoob Kerala (@ayoobkk1984.bsky.social) 2026-02-27T17:28:17Z

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/texas-big-bend-braces-border-wall-national-park-worrying-local-republi-rcna260942

Two hours from the closest stoplight, the Rio Grande runs through rugged canyons under the darkest skies in the Lower 48 states, carving cliffs that drop 1,500 feet below the desert floor of the beautifully desolate Big Bend National Park.

The few who call the region home feel a unique bond to the land. In their eyes, it’s the kind of natural barrier that steel cannot supplement. It’s one reason why the Big Bend has so far been spared from the bulldozer crews that come with new stretches of border wall......

But this year, the Trump administration is forging ahead with a plan Cleveland never thought he would see.

Locals and elected leaders from both parties across far West Texas are condemning the Department of Homeland Security’s newly revealed plans to build a border wall through Big Bend National Park and its neighboring state park. They are warning it will cut off access to popular destinations, choke off tourist dollars and disrupt one of the nation’s most pristine regions, while doing little to stop illegal immigration.

“It’ll ruin this county,” said Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson, a Democrat who has held office in his solidly red county for more than two decades. “If it’s a real wall, it will devastate us. We don’t have oil and gas, we have tourism.”

Customs and Border Protection’s public plans include more than 100 miles of planned border wall throughout Big Bend National Park, cutting off access to much of the Rio Grande from the American side.

CBP told NBC News the entire 517-mile stretch of the Big Bend sector’s border is set to receive new infrastructure or upgrades, including areas within the national and state parks.

This is beyond wrong. trump and company will destroy a true marvel of nature

[efhmc]

1. Destruction is not their middle name. It is their first and biggest name.