Friends,

Construction started today at Mariscal Mountain in Big Bend National Park. Nearly 30 Caterpillar D6 dozers are lined up just outside the park boundary. A new man camp is being built inside Big Bend National Park to house the construction crews.

This is not a future threat. It is happening right now, and it is only the beginning. BBT-5, the next 157-mile phase of vehicle barrier construction, is already moving through Brewster, Terrell, and Val Verde counties, and CBP is asking for public comment on it before August 31.

We are devastated. We are also not done fighting.

Here is what you can do today:

CBP has to accept public comments on BBT-5 through August 31. This is one of the only formal chances the public gets to put concerns on the record before more of this landscape is gone. It takes five minutes.

Email: [email protected]
Subject: Big Bend Vehicle Border Barrier System Construction Please
BCC us: [email protected], so we can track how many voices are speaking up.

Deadline: August 31.

You don't have to write an essay. Pick two or three points that matter most to you and say them in your own words.

A few to choose from:

-CBP has released no detailed maps or design plans for BBT-5. Ask them to show what is actually proposed before the public is expected to weigh in.

-The whole Big Bend Sector saw only 3,096 apprehensions in FY2025, 1.3% of the entire southwest border. Ask why $2.6 billion (about $16.5 million per mile) is going toward barriers here instead of personnel, sensors, and surveillance.

-Only about 17.4% of the BBT-1 through BBT-5 corridor has been archeologically surveyed, and it already holds 360 documented sites, with roughly 1,020 more projected. Ask CBP to complete full surveys before any ground is disturbed, not after.

-This land is one of the last intact wildlife corridors connecting the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas and Mexico, and this project threatens the Wild and Scenic Rio Grande. Ask CBP to account for that damage, not just the footprint of the barrier itself.

-Construction water is a real constraint in this desert. Ask where Fisher Sand & Gravel's water is coming from, how much they plan to pump, and what that means for neighboring wells and springs.

Send your comment by August 31. Then forward this to one person who loves this place too.

We will keep you posted as we learn more about what's happening on the ground.

In this together,

No Big Bend Wall