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Early Smart Wall Work Begins in Big Bend Region

The move from planning to onsite clearing and road regrading raises new legal and environmental challenges.

Bulldozers flattened vegetation near the Rio Grande River in Big Bend National Park on Aug. 6, 2026.
The Rio Grande flows alongside Big Bend Ranch State Park on April 10, 2026, near Lajitas, Texas.
Local residents stage a weekly roadside protest against proposed border wall construction on April 11, 2026, in Terlingua, Texas.
Customs and Border Protection says the work at Big Bend National Park is part of a land assessment ahead of a $1.7 billion dollar effort to improve border security in the region.

Overview

  • This week CBP confirmed that early construction activities, including clearing and digging, have begun on Big Bend 1, 2 and 3 projects in Hudspeth, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties.
  • Observers and local reporters documented bulldozers and trucks marked for Southwest Valley Constructors inside and near Big Bend National Park and in nearby towns.
  • CBP says it has not started Project 4 inside park units, will limit work there to regrading storm‑damaged roads for surveys, and does not plan 30‑foot barriers or blasting on Mariscal Mountain.
  • Conservation groups, former park officials, river outfitters and some lawmakers have escalated protests, letters and calls for a pause and signaled legal challenges over habitat harm, lost river access and possible treaty violations.
  • The activity ties to a roughly $1.7 billion Smart Wall contract to install vehicle barriers, surveillance systems and about 200 miles of patrol roads and is being advanced under waivers and authorities that shorten normal environmental reviews.