Federal contractors begin border barrier construction near Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park, Aug. 6, 2026. Photo: Courtesy of Natalie Newman
(The Center Square) – U.S. Customs and Border Protection Chief Rodney Scott said he paused all construction activity in Big Bend National Park and arrived in Texas on Monday to meet with Texas officials and stakeholders in person. He said he’s meeting with “a small team to evaluate the terrain and listen to local leadership, community members and stakeholders to ensure that we secure our borders while simultaneously protecting BBNP.”
He made the announcement after extensive pressure from Texas state lawmakers, sheriffs, and business owners and after Texans have filed multiple lawsuits against CBP.
Scott succumbed to pressure after a former colleague who served with him in Border Patrol, now Terrell County Sheriff, Thad Cleveland, called on him to halt construction. Cleveland invited Scott to the area to learn what infrastructure should be installed based on “the terrain, operational effectiveness, and the realities on the ground.” Cleveland has advocated for a “virtual wall,” using radar, Anduril Autonomous Surveillance Towers, thermal cameras and other technology, The Center Square reported.
Scott’s announcement came after U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, called on him and others to listen to Texans, The Center Square reported. Cornyn raised concerns about the waivers signed by former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and current secretary Markwayne Mullin authorizing destruction of Native American property, historical Texas structures and west Texas land that has existed untouched for centuries.
Under Scott, Texans received notices that DHS would use imminent domain to take their land to build border wall barriers if they didn’t agree to terms, The Center Square reported.
The Texas General Land Office has also gotten involved, ordering CBP to stop illegally destroying state land, or it would sue, The Center Square reported. State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-El Paso, has also sued, retaining well-known Houston attorney, Dick DeGuerin.
Thousands of Texans have called on Congress to halt construction in Big Bend, pointing to less than one percent of illegal crossings occurring there and natural 1,500-foot-high barriers providing a deterrent. U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said a border wall wasn’t needed in the park and that high-ranking officials told him CBP was “only putting in a caliche road with buried cables for tech monitoring plus vehicle barriers consistent with other national parks to prevent vehicles from going places they should not, and nothing more.”
“Congress – and specifically the Texas delegation – must get a full briefing on this issue from the administration,” he added.
Scott’s arrival in Texas comes after a bipartisan coalition of state lawmakers called on Gov. Greg Abbott to intervene to no avail. The latest request was led by Democrat state Rep. Eddie Morales, Jr., who said, “God has blessed this region with a natural border wall – there is simply no need to spend upwards of $7 billion on shady no-bid contracts on a sector that saw less than ~1% of crossings. Texas does not, and should not, bend the knee to the will of the federal government. Texas leaders swore an oath to protect our state, our land, and our communities – it is imperative that oath is upheld to protect this region for future generations of Texans to cherish.”
State Rep. Drew Darby, a Republican who signed the letter, said, “we have a duty to speak up when federal action threatens our land and our communities. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue; it is a Texan issue. We have an obligation to secure our border, but Big Bend’s rugged, unforgiving terrain already serves as a natural, God-given barrier that deters illegal crossings. The border crossing data already confirms this. … We owe it to future generations of Texans to protect Big Bend, and to ensure the hunting, ranching, and agribusiness operations that sustain this region can continue unimpeded.”
Former Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, criticized the Trump administration for approving no bid contracts, saying, “The standard federal competitive bid process was waived under Section 102(c) of the IIRIRA. We know how that works out. #ReflectionPool. I agree with Morales but rarely sign letters. We can secure this area through technology and manpower.”
Contractors have been awarded billions in no bid contracts to build border barriers, including those who donated to the president and have criminal histories, The Center Square reported.
In response to ongoing bipartisan public outrage, DHS claimed, “The mainstream media is fear mongering about our work at Big Bend. Here’s what’s actually happening: CBP is building ONE new access road, improving existing roads, installing detection technology, and placing vehicle barriers in limited, strategic locations. What people are seeing is survey and design work — NOT construction of a wall or stadium lighting through” Big Bend.
Center for Biological Diversity’s Laiken Jordahl, who is also suing the administration, posted drone footage of contractors bulldozing into Big Bend’s Mariscal Mountain in just the last two days, saying DHS was “lying.”
Abbott has remained silent on the issue and his office has not responded to requests for comment. Multiple lawmakers have called on Abbott to act and argue the attorney general should sue the federal government to stop construction but won’t.
Jordahl added that Abbott will “forever be remembered as the one who let the feds tread all over [Texas’] sovereignty and natural heritage” and his “silence is a rubberstamp on this destruction.”
