Overview
- CBP recently updated its public map to label the Big Bend route for detection technology instead of a continuous barrier and said the national and state parks remain in planning.
- Five sheriffs from Hudspeth, Culberson, Presidio, Brewster, and Terrell counties formally opposed a continuous physical wall, pointing to rugged terrain and the effectiveness of surveillance and targeted patrols.
- More than 100 conservation and outdoor groups asked congressional appropriators to bar funding for construction in Big Bend National Park and the adjacent state park, citing risks to wildlife movement, Rio Grande access, and local tourism.
- Despite the map change, DHS moves in February—including waivers of environmental laws and a Parsons oversight contract tied to a $46.5 billion wall allocation—have sustained uncertainty about future construction.
- CBP figures show the Big Bend sector records a very small share of crossings compared with the rest of the border, bolstering calls for technology-based monitoring instead of permanent walls.