The Trump administration has waived a series of environmental and historical preservation laws to expedite construction of a border wall through Big Bend National Park in Texas, despite a sharp decline in illegal border crossings. The move has drawn fierce backlash from local leaders, environmentalists, and public land users.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published the waiver on Tuesday, allowing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to bypass protections under the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, and others. The Big Bend area is home to endangered species, bighorn sheep, and Native American rock art.
Congress allocated $46.5bn for border wall construction last year, with the longest unwalled stretches along a 500-mile section of west Texas known as the Big Bend sector. This includes Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and Black Gap Wildlife Management Area.
CBP has proposed building a 17-mile vehicle barrier system with steel rails and posts 4-6ft tall, along with 205 miles of roads, utility poles, lighting, and surveillance cameras. Two barriers would be placed along the park's river frontage. Bob Krumenaker, former Big Bend superintendent, called it 'massive destruction' to some of the most remote parts of a national park.
US Representative Lloyd Doggett, a Texas Democrat, criticised the project as a waste of taxpayer money, noting that illegal crossings in the area account for less than 0.5% of the national total. CBP has given mixed signals about its plans, initially mapping a steel bollard wall before revising to show only detection technology and vehicle barriers.
