WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government agreed in court on Friday to extend a pause on border related construction in Big Bend National Park until mid September, a move welcomed by those challenging the contentious project in the area.Customs and Border Protection already paused activity after CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott visited the park last week to consult with local officials. His visit came after bulldozers started plowing through parts of the park in the far south of Texas, sparking widespread outrage.The Department of Homeland Security said at the time that the bulldozers were not launching into full construction but were part of initial design and survey work. Scott’s pause was slated to expire on Monday. In Big Bend National Park, the government’s plans have included building a new road, installing detection technology and barriers to stop vehicles from crossing the border, although an attorney for the government emphasized Friday that no final plans have been decided for what will be built in the park.
U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia said during the court hearing in San Antonio that he hoped the two sides would use the extra time to come together to work out what could be done to address both sides’ concerns. The pause applies to both the national park and a section of land upriver and west of the park, a Justice Department lawyer said during Friday’s hearing.The work in Big Bend National Park is part of a $46 billion plan by the Trump administration to cover the length of the 2,000-mile border from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico in a combination of 30-foot tall steel bollard walls, vehicle barriers and detection technology to stop illegal immigration and smugglers.
