.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to resume ground-disturbing work Wednesday on a proposed 61-mile border barrier project in Presidio County, while construction affecting Big Bend National Park remains under review, according to a federal court filing.
The Department of Justice notified the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas on Monday that CBP’s voluntary pause on work in the “Big Bend 2” project area would end Sept. 30.
According to the filing, CBP plans to construct approximately 61 miles of barrier system in Presidio County. The project calls for a 30-foot-tall bollard-style pedestrian barrier, a road and, where appropriate, cameras, lighting, sensors and other detection technology.
Most of the land along the Big Bend 2 alignment is privately owned, according to the government. CBP said it generally seeks either an easement or other property interest before construction and attempts to negotiate voluntarily with landowners.
However, the agency told the court that several landowners have declined to engage with the federal government or grant voluntary rights of entry for surveying. CBP expects to refer a number of those cases to the Department of Justice for possible condemnation proceedings in the coming weeks.
Plans for the separate “Big Bend 4” project, which includes Big Bend National Park, remain unsettled.
CBP told the court it is considering changes that would reduce the project’s scope and avoid or minimize potential impacts following input from the National Park Service and other stakeholders.
The original Big Bend 4 proposal called for approximately 17 miles of noncontiguous vehicle barriers within and east of Big Bend National Park, along with a new patrol road, improvements to existing roads and installation of surveillance technology. CBP said it does not plan to construct a barrier inside Big Bend Ranch State Park, although roads and associated technology are contemplated in portions of that area.
The agency expects to make a final decision on the revised Big Bend 4 project during the first week of October. Ground-disturbing work there would not begin immediately. The government said several additional weeks would likely be needed for contract administration, remobilization and planning.
The developments come as litigation over the Big Bend projects continues. Friends of the Ruidosa Church, the Center for Biological Diversity and a Big Bend-area landowner sued the federal government in April, challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s use of statutory authority to waive federal laws for border infrastructure construction. The case is pending before U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone in El Paso.
Two groups opposing construction — the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and Keep Big Bend Wild — called Tuesday for DHS to extend the construction pause.
Emily Thompson, executive director of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, said the groups fear construction would damage wildlife habitat, dark skies and the park’s landscape.
Bob Krumenaker, chair of Keep Big Bend Wild and superintendent of Big Bend National Park from 2018 to 2023, argued that existing Border Patrol operations and surveillance technology provide security without additional barriers. The groups also called for additional consultation with local stakeholders before work proceeds.
The federal government’s position is that the barrier projects are part of its effort to secure the U.S.-Mexico border. CBP says its current border infrastructure program combines physical barriers with roads, lighting, cameras and other detection technology.
A federal court hearing on the plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction is scheduled for Friday in El Paso.
