US pauses construction of border project in Texas national park

President Donald Trump's administration said Monday it was pausing construction on a $1.7 billion border project at Big Bend National Park in Texas that has faced bipartisan opposition.

The Department of Homeland Security plans to build vehicle barriers, patrol roads, lighting and detection technology across the park, known for its spectacular views and rich biodiversity, including hundreds of bird species, bobcats and black bears.

Bulldozers broke ground earlier this month on the public lands that blend desert, river and mountain ecosystems and are home to the famed Santa Elena Canyon.

"Last night, I put a pause on all activity in that park as far as construction goes, until I get down there and do a personal evaluation," Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a short video posted on X, adding he would talk with local stakeholders and that more news would follow this week.

The administration had waived dozens of environmental laws to greenlight the project, part of Trump's broader push to build an immense border wall with Mexico.

Fierce opposition to the project has cut across party lines, including all 14 Texas border county judges, who signed an open letter saying they supported border security but wanted more "practical solutions."

Five West Texas sheriffs likewise wrote to federal officials saying advanced surveillance technology would be better suited to stopping undocumented migration in the rugged terrain.

"Right now, there's a lot of construction that's going on in the Big Bend region. It's due in part to our current government that wants to build a border wall and install different facets of border protection, border security here in the region," Jake Knight, executive director of the Big Bend Protection Alliance, told AFP.

"But as you can see behind me, this is one of the most inhospitable places in the United States," he said.

"It's quite literally impossible to traverse, whether on foot or in a vehicle, from the other side into this area. Furthermore, this is not the will of the people of this region."

The Center for Biological Diversity has sued the government to block the project, alleging the waivers violated the Constitution.

"This is the most heinous attack on an American national park in generations," said Laiken Jordahl, a national public lands advocate at the center.