SAN ANTONIO – Bulldozers and construction equipment have entered Big Bend National Park, and a bipartisan group of Texas House members is urging Gov. Greg Abbott to press the federal government to stop any demolition and border barrier construction in the park.<\/p>\n
State Rep. Eddie Morales Jr. said in a Facebook post that his office, along with a bipartisan coalition of Texas House members, wrote to Abbott \u201conce again urging his Administration use any available avenue to request that DHS halt any Big Bend National Park demolition and construction of border barriers.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the post, Morales argued the region\u2019s terrain already serves as a natural deterrent. \u201cGod has blessed this region with a natural border wall \u2013 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,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n
RELATED | Big Bend border wall: Could construction require blasting through mountains?<\/a><\/p>\n In a letter addressed to Abbott, the lawmakers said they support border security but object to barriers in the Big Bend region, \u201cparticularly in Big Bend National Park.\u201d They wrote that border security policy should be \u201ceffective, fiscally responsible, and respectful of the communities and landscapes we are sworn to protect.\u201d<\/p>\n The letter states that damage has already started. \u201cRegrettably, bulldozers and construction equipment have now entered Big Bend National Park, and consequential damage to one of Texas\u2019 most pristine and irreplicable landscapes has already begun,\u201d the lawmakers wrote.<\/p>\n