Lower Canyons scenery
A proposal to ban the Trump administration from building a border wall in Big Bend National Park failed Wednesday in the U.S. House Appropriations Committee in a vote along party lines.
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Introduced by Democratic Texas congressman Henry Cueller, the measure would have prevented the use of Department of Homeland Security funds to construct barriers inside the park.
What they’re saying:
“Big Bend National Park is one of Texas’ greatest treasures. That’s why I introduced an amendment to prevent federal funds from being used to construct a border wall in Big Bend National Park, Big Bend State Park, and other important locations across our district, including downtown Laredo, areas surrounding the World Trade International Bridge and Laredo-Colombia Solidarity International Bridge, Chacon Bat Park, Father Charles M. McNaboe Park, Max A. Mandel Municipal Golf Course, Santa Rita Park, the San Ygnacio Historic District, and Falcon Lake,” Cueller said on X. “Border crossings are at historic lows without new border wall construction in these areas, and these locations already see very little migrant traffic. We can maintain strong border security while using technology and other effective tools that protect the natural beauty, history, and economic value of these iconic landscapes.”
Recent plans for the park show plans to construct 17 miles of vehicle barriers in some areas of the park along the border, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Smart Wall map.
In those areas, CBP officials say there is potential for off-road vehicles to cross the border and enter the United States. The agency insists that there are no plans to build traditional 30-foot walls in the national park and that they will use other technology, such as cameras and sensors, to monitor areas inside the park.
Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Democrat from El Paso, said the opposition to a border wall in Big Bend was bipartisan and that the amendment would provide assurance that a wall would not be built.
“I want you to imagine putting a wall through the Grand Canyon. That is how we in Texas feel about building a wall through Big Bend,” Escobar said. “That not only does it not make sense, but it would destroy a national treasure.”
Related
Big Bend will see vehicle barriers, not walls along southern border
The Trump administration will begin building barriers in Big Bend National Park to prevent vehicles from entering through the southern border.
The amendment would have been attached to a House bill funding the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2027. It would have also applied to the just passed Secure American Act that funds U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection through 2029.
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All Republicans voted no, including three Texas representatives, Reps. John Carter, Michael Cloud and Jake Ellzey.
Rep. Mark Amodei (R- Nevada) said passing the amendment would amount to significant risk to border security.
“To basically take the option off the table as a matter of law is not a responsible way to proceed,” Amodei said.
After the vote, Cuellar said that he believed in strong border security, but it should be “safe, targeted, and responsive to local needs.”
“With significant investments already being made in personnel, technology, and other enforcement tools, there are places where a border wall simply does not make sense,” he said on X. “We can secure the border while also respecting the historic sites, public spaces, and neighborhoods that make our region unique.”
The amendment came after the DHS filed waivers for environmental regulations in the area bringing new concerns that a border wall would be built in the park.
The Trump administration has faced pushback and been challenged by lawsuits over construction inside the park.
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