<\/p>\n
Paul Foster, chairman of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, listens to a man speak against border wall construction in the Big Bend region during the commission\u2019s annual public hearing at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department headquarters in Austin on Aug. 19, 2026. Opponents urged the commission to intervene in proposed border barrier construction inside Texas state parks.<\/p>\n
Jay Janner\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
Emily and Michael Roberts, of Austin, protest border wall construction in the Big Bend region outside Texas Parks and Wildlife Department headquarters in Austin on Aug. 19, 2026. The demonstrators gathered ahead of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission\u2019s annual public hearing, where advocates planned to urge the commission to intervene in proposed border barrier construction inside Texas state parks.<\/p>\n
Jay Janner\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
Billy Bartko, of Terlingua, waits in line to enter Texas Parks and Wildlife Department headquarters during a protest of border wall construction in the Big Bend region in Austin on Aug. 19, 2026. The demonstrators gathered ahead of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission\u2019s annual public hearing, where advocates planned to urge the commission to intervene in proposed border barrier construction inside Texas state parks.<\/p>\n
Jay Janner\/Austin American-Statesman<\/p>\n
The future of controversial border barrier projects<\/a> in the Big Bend<\/a> region remains uncertain after nearly 100 people<\/a> urged Texas wildlife officials Wednesday to oppose further construction,\u00a0just days after federal officials announced a pause on some work.<\/a><\/p>\n Of the 101 registered speakers at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission meeting, only about 10 spoke on another matter. The rest opposed the border projects amid uncertainty over what exactly has stopped\u00a0\u2014 and whether the pause will last.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said earlier this week that \u201csurvey and design work\u201d had been paused in the park following bipartisan pushback. But residents and advocates told commissioners Wednesday they fear the halt could be temporary and want state officials to prevent construction from moving forward.<\/p>\n Speakers raised concerns about potential effects on the region\u2019s communities, environment and businesses while calling for greater transparency about plans they said \u201cseem to change every day.\u201d<\/p>\n Here\u2019s where the projects stand and what could happen next.<\/p>\n What did Texas parks officials say?<\/p>\n Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Chairman Paul L. Foster said commissioners generally agreed with speakers’ concerns and were working with Gov. Greg Abbott\u2019s office, CBP and the federal government.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cOur objective is to minimize damage to the ecosystem out there, to the beauty of not only the parks but the whole area, and so we generally agree,\u201d Foster said.<\/p>\n \u201cI doubt we\u2019re going to have a lot of speakers that stand up for a border,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Is Big Bend border construction actually paused?<\/p>\n Some work is paused, according to CBP, but the status of the broader projects is less clear.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Scott said earlier this week that \u201csurvey and design work\u201d had been paused in the park. His announcement came after residents and advocates spotted bulldozers and excavators in the region and after bipartisan opposition to the projects intensified.<\/p>\n The description also followed an early August statement from a CBP spokesperson that \u201cearly construction activities such as clearing and digging have begun.\u201d<\/p>\n Before Scott announced the pause, CBP said earlier this month that installation of border barrier panels for the Big Bend 1, 2 and 3 wall projects in Hudspeth, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties was expected to begin \u201cin the coming weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n CBP has said work has not begun on Project 4, which is tied to a $1.7 billion contract and includes areas within Big Bend sector. The agency said crews at that site were regrading storm-damaged roads so workers could access the area and conduct surveys.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The road work is part of the preparation needed before construction can begin.<\/p>\n Project 4 includes roughly 17 miles of vehicle barrier systems\u00a0\u2014 including barriers, patrol roads and surveillance technology\u00a0\u2014 along with another 205 miles of patrol roads, cameras, sensors or a combination of those features, depending on location.<\/p>\n CBP has said it does not plan to build 30-foot-high barriers in Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park or the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area.<\/p>\n Why do opponents say the pause isn\u2019t enough?<\/p>\n Speakers repeatedly told commissioners Wednesday that they don\u2019t trust the pause to last without more concrete action.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cThe positive signs from the past few days are not the win we are fighting for. We\u2019ve all seen too many changes with no transparency to trust that this is anything but temporary,\u201d Grant Appleton, a private landowner in the region and founder of \u00a1Chinga Tu Muro!, told the American-Statesman.<\/p>\n \u201cAs far as I can tell, this is all a PR blitz because the powers that be are afraid of getting destroyed in the midterms as people from all sides come together against this,\u201d Appleton said.<\/p>\n Appleton added he wants contracts canceled and broader changes to federal authority over border construction.<\/p>\n People traveled from San Antonio, El Paso, Laredo, Marfa and elsewhere for Wednesday\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Susan Hays, an attorney and incoming Democratic Presidio County commissioner, urged the commission, whose members are appointed by Abbott, to use that connection to protect the region from current and future construction.<\/p>\n \u201cHelp this state stay strong against the federal overreach and with the destruction of the border of Greater Big Bend,\u201d Hays said.<\/p>\n Before the nearly-five-hour meeting, roughly 200 people gathered for a \u201ctailgate,\u201d holding \u201cDon\u2019t Mess With Texas Public Lands,\u201d \u201cSave Big Bend\u201d and \u201cStop the Wall\u201d signs as folk music played and attendees traded stories about the region.<\/p>\n Hillary Pierce, an organizer and founding member of No Big Bend Wall, said it was the first opportunity for members of the public to go on the record before officials opposing the construction.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Opposition crosses party lines<\/p>\n The pushback Wednesday wasn\u2019t confined to environmental organizations or Democrats.<\/p>\n Former Republican Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson told commissioners opposition to construction in Big Bend transcended party politics.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not a partisan deal\u00a0\u2014 it is universal,\u201d Patterson said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a very expensive remedy to a problem that doesn\u2019t exist. I am not asking y\u2019all to say no; I am asking y\u2019all to say hell no,\u201d he said, drawing cheers and applause.<\/p>\n Dave Cortez, a director with the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, pointed to the unusual political coalition.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen\u2019s the last time you saw a Republican Land Commissioner like Patterson and the director of the Sierra Club come before you on the same issue aligned together?\u201d Cortez said, drawing laughter.<\/p>\n Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and congressional candidate Brandon Herrera have also opposed the work, along with U.S. Senate hopeful James Talarico and Democratic gubernatorial candidate state Rep. Gina Hinojosa.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Abbott also said this week that there are other places along the Texas-Mexico border where barriers are needed more.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen it comes to building walls, there are other border areas in the state where there are more crossings where a wall is more needed than in places like Big Bend,\u201d Abbott said.<\/p>\n Abbott said CBP could secure the park \u201cthrough technology, through personnel, through other means.\u201d<\/p>\n Could Texas law become the next battleground?<\/p>\n Jaxon Welchman, an Austin-based attorney with No Big Bend Wall’s legal team, pointed commissioners to a section of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code governing projects that use or take dedicated parkland.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The requirements include three weeks of published notice, a public hearing and findings that there is \u201cno feasible and prudent alternative\u201d to a project and that planning minimizes harm.<\/p>\n \u201cThis process isn\u2019t a formality; it\u2019s the authority itself,\u201d Welchman said. \u201cAnd sure, there have been numerous federal waivers, but none have waived the Texas statute.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe day that Washington claims it can, that\u2019s not a border policy question anymore; that\u2019s a question about whether Texas law means anything on Texas protected land,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Welchman is an eighth-generation Texan who said he took annual family trips to Big Bend from age 5 through his sophomore year of college.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cI grew up as that being a special place,\u201d he told the Statesman.<\/p>\n For residents and advocates who packed Wednesday\u2019s meeting, the federal announcement hasn\u2019t resolved whether the projects have been stopped or merely delayed.<\/p>\n Appleton said opponents are looking for more definitive action, including canceled contracts.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cUntil contracts are canceled, until Congress acts on DHS\u2019s ability to sign away every law in their way without oversight or approval, and until the people responsible for the damage that\u2019s already been done are held accountable, we don\u2019t let off the gas,\u201d Appleton\u00a0said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Paul Foster, chairman of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, listens to a man speak against border wall…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":412050,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[132,134,133],"class_list":["post-412049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-austin","tag-austin","tag-austin-headlines","tag-austin-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412049","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=412049"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412049\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/412050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=412049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=412049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=412049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/p>\n