Big Bend Residents Fight Trump's Border Wall

Texans in the rugged Big Bend region are teaming up across politics to block

President Trump's multi-billion-dollar border wall push. This vast area along

the Rio Grande sees the fewest illegal crossings on the border. Just 1% of

total apprehensions last year thanks to it. Mountains, deserts, and harsh weather

acting as natural barriers. Outfitters, locals, and even some Republicans have

flooded lawmakers with anti-wall postcards, launched a petition with over

106,000 signatures and set rallies for April 4th at the State Capitol and in

Big Bend National Park. Their pressure paid off quick, the Department of Homeland

Security swapped wall plans in the national and state parks for tech-like

detectors on their updated map. Folks here rely on the land for their living. Half

a million tourists flock yearly for dark, starry skies, river trips, and desert

hikes that pump the economy. A wall could wreck paddling businesses built over

decades, ghost towns turned tourist spots, and the piece that draws people back home

like one woman. Who ditched city lights for Milky Way views? New contracts hit

east and west of Presidio for walls through farms and ranches, but three miles

inside Big Bend Ranch Day Park got scrapped. Still, eminent domain notices are

out, survey markers pop up, and a proposed man camp for 200 workers in tiny

Valentine got yanked amid backlash. Locals from River Guides to Trump fans say,

come see the terrain yourselves before DC draws lines. They're locked in,

watching every move as this. Border battle heats up. Local news powered by AI.

This is El Paso News today.