1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing as a Texan and a constituent to express my strongest possible opposition to any construction of physical border barriers through the Big Bend region, including Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park. This landscape is not simply open desert land. It is a globally rare and fragile ecosystem whose biodiversity, geology, and cultural history make it one of the most extraordinary natural areas on Earth. Desert terrain is often misunderstood as resilient, but in reality it is among the most ecologically delicate environments, where disturbance can take decades—or centuries—to heal, if recovery occurs at all. The proposed barrier would fragment habitat along the Rio Grande, severing wildlife movement corridors essential for species survival. Research and policy analysis, including work cited by the Cato Institute, have highlighted the profound ecological risks posed by such barriers. These risks include potential local extinction of already vulnerable species, including ocelots, disruption of black bear migration into Texas, and the loss of opportunities for jaguar range recovery. Smaller, less visible species—plants, reptiles, insects, and pollinators—would also be placed at risk through habitat fragmentation and hydrological disruption. The Big Bend region’s biodiversity has been compared in ecological richness to globally celebrated landscapes such as the Serengeti. To knowingly damage such an irreplaceable ecosystem would represent a profound failure of stewardship and a permanent loss for Texas, the nation, and the world. This area already bears scars from past extractive activities, including mining, that remain visible today. Those historical impacts serve as a warning: ecological damage in desert environments persists for generations. Any new disturbance from barrier construction would likely create long-term, possibly irreversible harm. Even if future administrations attempted restoration, recovery could take a century or more—and some losses would never be reversed. Natural geography in the Big Bend region already provides significant barriers. The marginal enforcement benefit of a constructed wall does not justify the permanent ecological destruction it would cause. Once these ecosystems are fragmented, once species are cut off from water and cross-border habitat connectivity, and once landscapes are industrialized, we will not be able to reclaim what has been lost within our lifetimes. As Texans, we hold a shared responsibility to protect this singular landscape. The Big Bend region is both a national and state treasure, and safeguarding it transcends partisan politics. I urge you in the strongest terms to oppose funding, authorization, or permitting for any border barrier construction that would impact this region and to actively work toward policies that protect cross-border ecological integrity. The legacy of this Congress should be one of preservation and stewardship—not irreversible ecological damage. This proposal must be stopped.