The people leading opposition to a proposed border wall in the Big Bend region include archaeologists, ranchers, conservationists, filmmakers and longtime West Texans — a coalition organizers say reflects deep ties to the land and communities they are fighting to protect.
The grassroots organization No Big Bend Wall this week highlighted the backgrounds of its core leadership team as debate continues over a proposed “smart wall” and expanded border infrastructure in Far West Texas.
The coalition says it formed after federal waivers issued earlier this year reignited concerns about wall construction in the Big Bend region, where residents, landowners and conservation advocates have argued that barriers could disrupt wildlife corridors, alter landscapes and affect private property access.
The group describes itself as a community-led coalition rooted in West Texas and focused on stopping a border wall in the Big Bend.
Among its leadership is Molly Walker, a West Texas native, adobe conservationist and founder of the organization who serves as president. The coalition says Walker has spent years advocating for borderland communities.
The organization’s treasurer, Hillary Pierce of Marfa, is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker known for producing The River and the Wall, a film examining the impacts of border barriers in Texas.
Landowner outreach is led in part by Yolanda Alvarado, a fifth-generation cattle rancher from Valentine who advocates for rural communities and Texas heritage, and David Keller, a Redford-based archaeologist and historian whom the organization describes as having surveyed more of Big Bend National Park than any other archaeologist.
Anna Claire Beasley, a strategist and nonprofit co-founder based in Terlingua, oversees campaigns and organizing efforts. The coalition credits her with helping build high-profile grassroots advocacy efforts, including a petition campaign that gathered more than 100,000 signatures opposing a border wall in the region.
Communications and legal defense efforts are coordinated by Clara Bensen of Marfa, whose work includes helping organize support for landowners navigating legal issues related to proposed border infrastructure.
Katie Smither, a former West Texas resident now working professionally in astronomy, serves as secretary for the coalition.
While supporters of expanded border barriers argue additional security measures are necessary in remote stretches of the U.S.-Mexico border, opponents in the Big Bend region contend a wall would permanently alter one of the country’s most environmentally and culturally distinct landscapes.
By introducing the backgrounds of its organizers, the No Big Bend Wall campaign appears to be emphasizing a central message: opposition to a border wall in the Big Bend is being led not by outsiders, but by people with longstanding personal, professional and historical ties to the region.
