Landowners in the Big Bend region say they have received federal notices indicating their property lies in the potential path of a planned border barrier along the Rio Grande near Langtry.
Raymond Skiles said he and his siblings — third-generation owners of a family ranch along the Rio Grande canyonlands — recently received a 12-page letter from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection outlining options for the government to access the land for border barrier construction.
According to the letter, federal officials are asking landowners to consider three possible paths.
The first option would have property owners sign a Right of Entry for Construction agreement, allowing CBP to access the land to conduct surveys, appraisals and construction work related to a border barrier. The government would later negotiate the purchase of property rights or an easement if needed once construction is complete.
The second option involves negotiating a purchase or easement agreement directly with the landowner to meet federal construction timelines.
If those options fail, the letter states the federal government could ask the U.S. Department of Justice to initiate eminent domain proceedings in federal court under the Declaration of Taking Act to acquire the property.
CBP indicated its preferred approach is the right-of-entry agreement because it allows construction to proceed quickly while providing compensation based on fair market value.
Skiles said the property at issue sits along the Rio Grande near Langtry and includes cliffs and bottomland along the river.
“We are the third Skiles family generation to ranch, steward, protect and share this beautiful Rio Grande canyonlands property,” Skiles wrote in a social media post. “The land, at Langtry, Texas, is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.”
The family said the ranch includes homes built by their parents and grandparents and overlooks the river canyon landscape typical of the Big Bend region.
Skiles said dozens of other landowners in the area also received similar notices about potential border barrier construction.
Border wall construction in the Big Bend region has long been controversial due to the rugged terrain, environmental concerns and the presence of protected lands and historic sites along the Rio Grande corridor.
Federal officials have not publicly detailed specific construction timelines or routes for any barrier segments near Langtry.
