U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is urging federal officials to meet with local leaders and residents in the Big Bend region before moving forward with new border barriers in the area, where crews have already begun preparing parts of Big Bend National Park for a major border security project.
In a letter sent to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin on Friday, the Texas Republican said a bipartisan group of border sheriffs and county judges, private landowners and park advocates have raised concerns about the Trump administration's plans.
Cornyn said he supports stronger border security but wants DHS to hear directly from people who live and work in the area before additional construction moves forward in the region's state and national parks.
"The requests from local officials and community leaders for coordination and communication appear very reasonable to me," Cornyn wrote. "I would ask that you or your designees meet with Texas stakeholders directly to discuss their concerns before proceeding with any additional construction of physical barriers."
The Trump administration has been laying the groundwork for the projects for months.
In February, then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem waived dozens of federal environmental, historic preservation and other requirements to speed up construction of some border barriers and roads throughout the region. The Trump administration plans to build about 175 miles of 30-foot steel wall through parts of Hudspeth, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties.
Then in June, DHS issued another waiver that covered more than 100 miles of the border, including all of Big Bend National Park and part of Big Bend Ranch State Park.
Inside the national park, U.S. Customs and Border Protection says it plans to install vehicle barriers and surveillance technology and improve Border Patrol roads. The federal government awarded a $1.7 billion contract for the project earlier this year.
As Marfa Public Radio has reported, crews have since moved heavy equipment into the park and begun work near the Rio Grande. CBP has maintained that some of the activity is preliminary work, including road repairs.
In his letter, Cornyn said residents have questioned whether physical barriers are necessary when the inhospitable landscape already makes crossing the border difficult. The Big Bend region is one of the most remote stretches of the U.S.-Mexico border, with mountains, deserts and steep canyons along the Rio Grande.
"My constituents believe that the 1,000-foot riverbank cliffs and remote Big Bend terrain offers its own source of deterrence for any illegal migrants crossing into the United States," Cornyn wrote.
According to Cornyn, residents worry the projects could damage the landscape and wildlife, threaten culturally significant Native American sites, interfere with wildlife migration, limit access to the Rio Grande and hurt the region's tourism economy.
The projects have faced bipartisan opposition from local officials and residents. Five border county sheriffs have spoken against the plans, and more than 2,000 people gathered at the Texas Capitol in April to protest the proposed border wall. Local county judges have also pushed federal officials for more information.
The federal plans are also facing a lawsuit from a local river guide, the Friends of the Ruidosa Church and the Center for Biological Diversity. The lawsuit initially challenged plans for 30-foot walls elsewhere in the region and has since expanded to include the project in Big Bend National Park.
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