CBP Pauses Big Bend Border Work 2 Weeks as Scott Reconsiders 200 Miles of Patrol Roads
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Aug 20
CBP Pauses Big Bend Border Work 2 Weeks as Scott Reconsiders 200 Miles of Patrol Roads
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Aug 20
Summary
Rodney Scott told West Texas sheriffs and county judges that construction in Big Bend National Park will stay stopped for at least two weeks while CBP reviews the project.
The commissioner also said CBP still does not plan a wall inside the 801,163-acre park and may drop new road construction there in favor of existing roads.
The pause followed bipartisan backlash over heavy machinery clearing land near Santa Elena Canyon and Mariscal Mountain; opponents call it a victory but remain wary the halt could be temporary.
Outside the park, the broader Big Bend plan still carries a price tag above $7 billion, including 200 miles of patrol roads, 17 miles of vehicle barriers and major wall segments on nearby private land.
Legal and political pressure is still building: at least four lawsuits challenge DHS waivers of 30-plus laws, and local officials and business owners are heading to Austin to press Texas to intervene.