Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
In a letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Cornyn outlined concerns raised by a bipartisan group of Texas border sheriffs and county judges, private landowners and Big Bend park advocates regarding federal plans for border barriers in the region.
AUSTIN, Texas — U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has asked the Department of Homeland Security to meet with Texas stakeholders before proceeding with additional construction of physical border barriers in Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park.
Cornyn said Texas supports federal efforts to secure the U.S.-Mexico border while asking DHS to consider concerns specific to the Big Bend area.
“Texas has always worked cooperatively with the Department of Homeland Security (‘DHS’ or ‘Department’) on border security, and we fully support strong border security measures to stop the flow of illegal aliens, drugs, and potential terrorists into the United States,” Cornyn wrote.
According to Cornyn, stakeholders contend that the geography surrounding Big Bend already presents significant obstacles to unauthorized crossings.
“My constituents believe that the 1,000-foot riverbank cliffs and remote Big Bend terrain offers its own source of deterrence for any illegal migrants crossing into the United States,” Cornyn wrote.
He said the region includes steep mountains, deep canyons and expansive deserts that constituents believe serve as a natural barrier limiting large-scale movements.
Cornyn also described concerns from people who live and work near the parks about the potential environmental, cultural and economic effects of constructing a physical wall and related infrastructure.
“Many residents that live and work around the parks are also concerned that a physical wall, which would be accompanied by lighting systems, access roads, and maintenance corridors, would (1) ruin the beauty, landscape, and wildlife of the park, (2) threaten culturally significant Native American sites, (3) disrupt wildlife migration, (4) limit access to the Rio Grande River, and (5) significantly harm the local economy as tourism is a major economic driver for the region,” Cornyn wrote.
The senator did not ask DHS to abandon border security measures in the area. Instead, he requested direct discussions between federal officials and Texas stakeholders before additional physical barriers are constructed in the parks.
“The requests from local officials and community leaders for coordination and communication appear very reasonable to me,” Cornyn wrote.
He asked Mullin or DHS representatives to meet directly with Texas stakeholders to discuss their concerns before the department proceeds with additional construction of physical barriers in the Big Bend area.
