CBP map no longer shows Big Bend border wall following letter from Texas House

A possible shift in federal plans for a border wall in Big Bend National Park is raising new questions Friday night.

Updated maps posted by Customs and Border Protection appear to show a major change in areas once marked for future wall construction that now appear to be reclassified.

The change comes days after Texas House members urged the governor to speak with the Trump Administration about canceling the "unnecessary militarization."

New change to border wall map

The latest:

An updated map on the CBP website now shows the orange line of "detection technology" cutting through Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park on the Texas southern border with Mexico.

Just last week, that line was cut with over 100 miles of green, indicating "primary wall," which the CBP says includes steel bollard construction. 

Going even further back, the border wall map was originally all orange before "primary wall" was quietly added in February. The reason for that change was never explained. 

FOX 4 reached out to CBP Friday evening asking for clarity on why the map was altered. They released the following statement:

What they're saying:

"As CBP continues to work to implement President Trump’s Executive Order 14165, "Securing our Borders" and Proclamation 10142, "Declaring a National Emergency at the Southern Border of the United States," it continues to develop and finalize its execution plan for border barrier construction funded by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. CBP is currently focusing on the top operational priorities with historical rates of high illegal entry where illegal aliens regularly attempt to enter the United States. 

"The Big Bend National Park and State Park are still in the planning stages. CBP will continue to coordinate with the National Park Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and other federal and state agencies, throughout the planning of border barrier and technology deployments, in order to achieve Border Patrol’s operational priorities."

What we don't know:

Following contact with the federal agents in charge of the map and border wall plans, it's unclear what caused the plans to change, or if they've really changed at all. When FOX Local last requested clarity, CBP similarly referred back to the map.

Letter from Texas House

Dig deeper:

Earlier this week, 47 members of the Texas House of Representatives sent a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott, urging him to ask the federal government to reconsider their plans. 

The letter, in part, says the massive park itself is barrier enough to prevent illegal entry in any number to warrant construction of a wall. 

Read the full letter below:

What we don't know:

FOX Local reached out to several of the representatives listed in the letter, as well as Abbott's office, for comment on whether the CBP map change was related to the state legislators' involvement in any way. At the time of publishing, none had responded. 

West Texas native weighs in

Local perspective:

James King, a West Texas realtor who has also spent more than three decades as a steward of this land, said he was astounded to see the plans for construction, and hopes the new change to the map is a true reflection of softening plans.

King proposed to his wife on a canoe inside the national park. His children, now in their 30s, grew up there. He says the idea of a wall slicing through this piece of paradise is difficult to imagine.

"It's a corridor of wildlife that goes back and forth across the river," King said. "It's extremely important for the genetics to be able to interact with other populations, and a wall would literally stop that."

A growing number of locals, area leaders and state lawmakers from both sides of the aisle had voiced opposition to a proposed wall in the park. King says he feels excited the feds may have actually listened, but doesn't want to get too excited before it's confirmed. 

"It's fantastic news. It's surprising. But I am, and others, are very guarded until we really can be assured that that is the case."

In addition to the CBP's statement that the area is still in planning stages, FOX 4 reached out to the Department fo Homeland Security, who had not responded by the time of publishing. 

TexasU.S. Border SecurityU.S. Border WallImmigrationTexas Politics