Overview
- Bulldozers and contractors began clearing brush and regrading near Santa Elena Canyon on Wednesday, prompting on‑the‑ground protests by park advocates and local residents.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection says the activity is survey and design work for one new access road, repairs to existing roads, limited vehicle barriers, detection equipment, lighting, and underground fiber, and denies plans for a 30‑foot wall in the park.
- The administration has awarded large contracts for the region, including a reported $1.7 billion award to Southwest Valley Contractors for park work and at least $7.5 billion in the wider Big Bend sector, fueling local concern about scale and oversight.
- Officials used expedited waiver authorities to speed environmental and historic reviews, a legal step critics cite in calling for pauses, stakeholder meetings, and possible litigation to review compliance with conservation rules.
- Senator John Cornyn and a bipartisan group of sheriffs, county judges, outfitters, and conservation groups have asked DHS for meetings and pauses, and observers say further legal challenges and federal clarifications will determine whether clearing and construction proceed or are modified.