Nicolai Haugsted
Beloved American landmark could pay the price for Trump’s latest border project.
Donald Trump’s push to expand border infrastructure along the southern United States is facing fresh scrutiny over plans for one of Texas’s most remote landscapes.
Federal maps indicate that a proposed Border Patrol route would cut through mountainous terrain inside Big Bend National Park, raising questions over how construction could proceed without substantial alterations to the landscape.
Lawmakers and environmental groups have warned that contractors may ultimately have to blast through part of Mariscal Mountain and carry out extensive bulldozing to establish the planned route.
According to Daily Express, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Smart Wall map places a planned patrol route near Mariscal Canyon and the Rio Grande, according to the information cited in reports.
Detailed engineering plans explaining exactly how contractors intend to build through the area had not been made public as of Thursday.
Terrain surrounding Mariscal Canyon presents an obvious engineering challenge. Canyon walls reach roughly 1,500 feet, while the broader area is exceptionally isolated and difficult to access.
Concerns surrounding the project have consequently gone beyond its environmental consequences, with questions also being raised about whether another road is operationally necessary.
Texas Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland, who has personally hiked the area, challenged the rationale behind building through such difficult terrain.
“I’ve hiked the Mariscal Canyon Trail, which is about a 6.5-mile round trip to a canyon with walls reaching roughly 1,500 feet,” Cleveland said.
Sheriff questions need for construction
Cleveland argued that Mariscal Canyon is already an unattractive route for people attempting to cross the border because of its geography and extreme isolation.
“People simply don’t cross there,” he said. “Even if they did, they would face approximately a 110-mile walk to reach an area where they could realistically be picked up.”
His assessment is partly based on information he receives concerning attempted crossings around the wider Big Bend region, which he said he forwards to authorities.
Cleveland described such intelligence as generally reliable and questioned the practical case for constructing another route through Mariscal Canyon.
“As for Mariscal Canyon specifically, building a road there would be both impractical and unnecessary,” he said.
“The terrain and remoteness make it an unlikely crossing point, and there is little operational justification for constructing a road in such a difficult location.”
Customs and Border Protection has presented its work at Big Bend in less sweeping terms.
Commissioner Rodney Scott said the federal government’s responsibility was to protect the national park while improving border security.
“Big Bend belongs to the American people, and our job is to keep it safe. So, let’s be clear about what is—and is not—happening there,” Scott said.
According to Scott, CBP intends to construct one new access road while upgrading existing routes and adding surveillance equipment and vehicle barriers at selected locations.
“CBP is building one new access road, improving existing roads, installing detection technology, and placing vehicle barriers in limited, strategic locations,” he said.
Federal authorities have not released detailed engineering documents establishing whether explosives would ultimately be required for the proposed road. Claims that part of Mariscal Mountain would need to be blasted therefore remain based on the route shown on federal maps and assessments of the difficult terrain rather than a publicly confirmed construction plan.
