Construction crews will soon begin installing a 30-foot border wall, paved roads, vehicle barriers, and technology in and around the Big Bend National Park as the Trump administration expands upon the 450 miles of wall installed at the U.S.-Mexico border during his first term.For the Trump administration, the scene is one to be celebrated, but for many people in the region, it triggers fears of losing the natural landscape and confusion, given the changes the government has made to its plans for the border wall there over the past six months.Within the last two weeks, oversized trucks carrying large pieces of slatted steel have arrived outside the national park in West Texas, dropping them off at an outdoor job site where the materials will be stored ahead of installation.
Charlie Angell, founder of Angell Expeditions in Redford, Texas, and a landowner with property along the international Rio Grande, told the Washington Examiner that he still does not understand what is being built or where.“If the objective of [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] is to stem the tide of illegals crossing, well, I already got that covered. Thirteen years, I’ve never had one,” said Angell. “I’ve got a unique situation. It’s my home, it’s my retirement, it’s my backyard, it’s my river access, it’s my river deck, it’s a bird sanctuary, it’s an archeological landmark.”CBP, the federal agency determining where to build more wall, told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday that construction here is slated to begin this month.
