U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' employees and contractors conduct site visits for replacement of existing vehicle barriers with pedestrian border barrier fencing near Tucson, Arizona, May 20. USACE is supporting the Department of Homeland Security's re … (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)
The Trump administration will begin building barriers in Big Bend National Park to prevent vehicles from entering the southern border.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials confirmed the plan Wednesday, saying around 17 miles of vehicle barrier will be placed along areas of the southern border of the park to prevent vehicles from entering the United States through those areas. The plan is listed on the agency's Smart Wall website.
Proposed border protection plans in Big Bend National Park from U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Smart Wall website on June 9, 2026. (U.S. CBP)
The agency said the proposed construction would consist of four-foot tall metal posts with a cross beam that would prevent vehicles from entering the park. Officials said most of the park's terrain is too rugged for vehicles to cross, but some areas were identified that would allow passage without the construction of the post and rail system.
Officials said most park goers would not visit the areas where the barriers will be constructed.
A document filed in the federal register would allow for a waiver of environmental regulations for a portion of the southern border.
Homeland Security Sec. Markwayne Mullin filed documents that would allow contractors to ignore several federal laws and regulations, including the National Historic Preservation Act, the National Park Service General Authorities Act, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the National Fish and Wildlife Act, among others for the purpose of building physical barriers and roads in the Department of Homeland Security's Big Bend Sector.
In May, a contract was awarded for $1.7 billion for construction in the CBP sector that includes Big Bend. A contract for $2.6 billion was awarded this month for "border barrier design" in another portion of the Big Bend sector.
Environmental advocacy group the Center for Biological Diversity, called the waiver of regulations a "death warrant for this wild and beautiful place."
"The absolute disdain this administration has for our national parks is disgraceful, and now they’re targeting Texas’ most beloved national park," said Laiken Jordahl, national public lands advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. "The only people benefiting from this destruction are the billionaire contractors set to pad their pockets while paving over our natural heritage and permanently locking a great American river behind hideous steel barriers. We won’t stop fighting for this crown-jewel national park and the Rio Grande."
The move to add vehicle barriers to the park comes after officials said they had no plans to build a traditional border wall in the park.
Inside the park, however, plans remain for the addition of patrol roads and other non-wall surveillance tolls such as cameras and sensors to detect people and vehicles.
The plans come as the administration faces pushback and lawsuits seeking to fight against the environmental waivers and construction in the park.
The Source: Information in this article comes from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Center for Biological Diversity and previous Fox Local reporting.