August 12, 2026 - AUSTIN – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin outlining Texas stakeholders’ concerns on federal plans to construct physical border barriers in Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park. In the letter, Sen. Cornyn urges DHS to meet with these Texans directly to discuss their concerns before any additional construction activity occurs at the parks. Excerpts from the letter are below, and the full text of letter can be viewed here.
Related: Federal Contractors Begin Border Construction Using Bulldozers in Big Bend National Park, Center for Biological Diversity Reports
The Senator wrote: “Texas has always worked cooperatively with the Department of Homeland Security (“DHS” or “Department”) on border security, and we fully support strong border security measures to stop the flow of illegal aliens, drugs, and potential terrorists into the United States.”
“Recently a bipartisan group of Texas border sheriffs and county judges, private landowners, and the Big Bend Park advocates have raised significant concerns about DHS’ proposed construction of border barriers in Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park. 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. The dangerous terrain includes steep mountains, deep canyons, and expansive deserts which they believe act a natural barrier that limits large-scale movements.”
“Many residents that live and work around the parks are also concerned that a physical wall, which would be accompanied by lighting systems, access roads, and maintenance corridors, would (1) ruin the beauty, landscape, and wildlife of the park, (2) threaten culturally significant Native American sites, (3) disrupt wildlife migration, (4) limit access to the Rio Grande River, and (5) significantly harm the local economy as tourism is a major economic driver for the region,” he continued.
“The requests from local officials and community leaders for coordination and communication appear very reasonable to me and 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 in Big Bend National Park or Big Bend Ranch State Park,” he concluded.
Source: Senator John Cornyn
