Trump administration pauses ontroversial border wall work in Texas

The Trump administration has temporarily halted construction of a controversial border wall project in Big Bend National Park in southern Texas while the head of the agency responsible for building the wall visits the area for an on-the-ground assessment.

The project has drawn strong bipartisan opposition from critics who argue that the construction is damaging a pristine natural environment. They also say the rugged and remote terrain of the region already acts as a natural deterrent to migrants and smugglers.

Rodney Scott, head of Customs and Border Protection, said on X that he was traveling to Texas to personally evaluate the project.

“CBP is pausing all construction activity in Big Bend National Park while I visit and conduct a personal, on-the-ground evaluation,” Scott said.

Congress approved $46 billion for the Trump administration last summer to build a border wall stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. The administration has moved quickly to expand construction, waiving numerous regulations in an effort to speed up the project.

Scott has said he expects the first layer of the wall to be completed by the end of next year.

However, the administration has faced strong opposition in Texas, particularly over planned construction in and around Big Bend National Park and a state park farther west.