Forty-six members of the Texas House of Representatives are urging Gov. Greg Abbott to ask the administration of Donald Trump to stop any plans to build new border wall infrastructure in the Big Bend region of West Texas.
The lawmakers, led by state Rep. Eddie Morales of Eagle Pass, signed a Feb. 28 letter expressing concern that permanent steel wall construction along the Rio Grande in the region would damage one of Texas’ most distinctive natural landscapes.
“This is not a partisan issue,” Morales wrote in a public statement accompanying the letter. “This is about protecting the most irreplaceable landscape in Texas and in our nation. A permanent steel wall has no place in Big Bend.”
According to the letter, federal officials have outlined plans for a primary border wall system using steel bollard barriers that could extend into areas near Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park.
The legislators acknowledged the importance of border security but argued that large-scale physical barriers are unnecessary in the region’s rugged terrain, which they described as a natural barrier along the international boundary.
“Securing our border is essential for keeping our border communities and nation safe,” the letter states. “However, it has long been acknowledged that, for this region, permanent border security infrastructure is not needed.”
The lawmakers said the region’s steep canyons, remote geography and limited access points already make unauthorized crossings difficult. They warned that a permanent wall could cause long-term ecological damage and disrupt tourism in an area that attracts more than 500,000 visitors annually.
Instead, the letter recommends expanded use of surveillance technology, strategic personnel deployment and coordination among local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
Among the lawmakers signing the letter were several prominent Democratic members of the Texas House, including James Talarico and other legislators from districts across the state.
The signatories asked Abbott to formally request that the federal government halt any proposed permanent wall construction projects in the Big Bend region.
“The decisions made today will leave an enduring mark on Texas long after our respective tenures,” the lawmakers wrote. “As stewards of this state, we share a responsibility to protect one of God’s most remarkable gifts to Texas.”
