Congressional Action

March 27, 2026
Dear Secretary Mullin:

We write in staunch opposition to the proposed border barrier and detection technology in Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River, and Amistad National Recreation area as you consider public comment. This proposal threatens preservation of one of America’s crown jewels, Texas’ largest state park, and the state’s only congressionally-designated Wild & Scenic River. Construction and maintenance of a border wall segment and the associated roads, secondary barriers, power lines, towers, and lighting will disrupt natural biodiversity, river dynamics subject to routine flash flooding, and one of the darkest night sky areas in the world.

May 21, 2026
Dear Representative Doggett

As stated in your letter, the Big Bend area contains some of the most unique and important scenery and archeological landscapes in Texas, and it is valued accordingly. Big Bend National Park and its related areas also provide support for the local and regional economy. DHS recognizes this along with the intrinsic importance these areas hold for Texans and others who visit and enjoy them.

Border security measures in the Big Bend National Park or the Big Bend Ranch State Park will be adapted to the terrain

June 21, 2026
Dear Secretary Mullin:

We write in strong opposition to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) recent waivers of numerous federal environmental and historic preservation laws inside Big Bend National Park. These waivers endanger the intrinsic nature of the park, local economies, biodiversity, and the safety of communities along the Rio Grande River. We urge you to rescind these waivers and instead offer proposals subject to public review and input. There is no border security emergency here that warrants giving CBP unfettered authority to unnecessarily destroy some of the wildest parts of Big Bend or to disregard the overwhelmingly bipartisan will of the people, the actual data showing minimal numbers of border crossings inside the park, and the values that Texans and all Americans hold dear as represented by the National Parks.