Texas GOP Leaders Temper Support for Trump Border Plan Amid Big Bend Backlash
Republican officials in Texas are cautiously distancing themselves from the U.S. administration’s border construction project in Big Bend, citing local opposition and differing security needs.
Texas Republicans are walking a tightrope between local opposition to a federal border-security project in Big Bend National Park and loyalty to President Donald Trump. The administration’s plan to build an access road, vehicle barriers inside the park and 30-foot barriers on adjacent private land has sparked bipartisan outrage in West Texas, prompting a pause in construction announced by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Senate candidate Ken Paxton, a longtime Trump ally, described the plan as “not smart border security” and warned that “destroying one of our state’s greatest natural treasures… is not smart border security.” Attorney General Paxton added that Texans must prioritize “effective enforcement that protects our communities… while respecting the unique character of places like Big Bend.”
Sen. Ted Cruz welcomed the pause, saying he was glad officials were taking “a beat to hear the concerns of local landowners and law enforcement.” He noted that “the tools needed to secure the border in Big Bend are likewise different than those needed in a dense urban environment.”
Former land commissioner Jerry Patterson called the project “a huge liability” and warned that the issue was “going to become bigger.”
Other Republicans, including Rep. Chip Roy and Rep. August Pfluger, thanked CBP for the pause and urged collaboration with local stakeholders. General Land Office head Dawn Buckingham sent a cease-and-desist letter to CBP over alleged illegal clearing of state-owned land and said her agency is reviewing titles and deeds to prevent trespass.
Democratic officials have consistently opposed the construction, with Rep. Henry Cuellar and Rep. Veronica Escobar attempting to block it through legislative amendments. CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott met with local officials and indicated a decision on the pause would be made in the coming weeks, while some lawmakers suggested technology such as infrared surveillance as an alternative to physical barriers.
Despite the pause, several high-profile Texas Republicans, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and House Speaker Dustin Burrows, have not publicly commented on the issue.