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Texas issues cease-and-desist over border wall work
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham issued cease-and-desist letters to federal entities after a contractor cleared more than a mile of state-owned land near Big Bend for border wall construction without written permission.
AUSTIN, Texas - A border construction project near Big Bend is now at the center of a dispute between the state of Texas and the federal government after Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham accused a federally hired contractor of clearing state-owned land without permission.
Texas issues cease-and-desist over border wall
What we know:
Buckingham sent cease-and-desist letters this week to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the company leasing the property, and a subcontractor. She says this is not a fight over border security, but control over Texas land.
The Texas General Land Office allege that more than a mile of state land in Presidio County, Texas was cleared to make way for border wall construction without written approval.
Environmental impact concerns grow
Local perspective:
The conflict also comes as opponents of border wall construction near Big Bend say they remain concerned about potential environmental impacts in the region.
"For generations, Big Bend's remote landscape has remained largely untouched by the steel barriers found elsewhere along the southern border," said Yolanda Alvarado of the No Big Bend Wall Coalition.
Yolanda Alvarado
"We've been working on the smaller level to just keep them in line, and we're really excited to see an elected official step up and say no, we won't let this happen."
Texas Land Office threatens legal action
What they're saying:
According to the Texas General Land Office, a federally hired contractor cleared vegetation and altered the terrain on a stretch of state-owned property in Presidio County without written approval.
In its cease-and-desist letters, the agency warned that it reserves the right to pursue legal action over the alleged damage.
In a separate statement provided to FOX 4, Buckingham said, "It is absolutely unacceptable for any federal contractor to enter and deface Texas state lands."
"It is my duty to defend the people of Texas's interests, and I won't apologize for it," she added.
Federal infrastructure plans shift border wall targets
Dig deeper:
The dispute comes as CBP's publicly available border infrastructure maps have changed over time.
The latest version shows no physical border wall planned in or around Big Bend National Park or Big Bend Ranch State Park. However, it does show other border infrastructure planned across parts of far West Texas, including a bollard barrier system on the western flank of Big Bend Ranch State Park.
Alvarado said the evolving plans have only increased concerns about what could eventually be built and the environmental impacts it could have.
"It's very simple for us to see what would happen if we had any type of infrastructure along the river," Alvarado said. "And the most alarming biggest threat is flooding."
Low migrant crossing numbers spark questions
Big picture view:
Opponents have also questioned whether additional infrastructure is necessary, noting the Big Bend sector has historically seen significantly fewer migrant crossings than other areas of the Texas-Mexico border.
At the height of the most recent border crisis, in fiscal year 2022, the Del Rio Sector, located hundreds of miles from Big Bend, recorded nearly 481,000 migrant encounters. During the same period, the Big Bend Sector recorded fewer than 32,000.
What's next:
FOX 4 contacted U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Thursday seeking a response to Buckingham's allegations. The agency had not yet responded.
The Source: Information in this article was pr