1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing to strongly oppose any expansion of border wall construction in the Big Bend region of Texas, including areas near Big Bend Ranch State Park and along privately owned lands in the Rio Grande Valley. While current maps may not show a barrier planned directly through Big Bend National Park, surrounding areas—including Big Bend Ranch State Park and adjacent private property—remain at risk. Reports that landowners along the Rio Grande are receiving notices of federal land seizure through eminent domain are deeply troubling. Many of these families have owned and stewarded their land for generations. Forcing them into legal battles or inadequate compensation in order to take their property for wall construction is unjust and unnecessary. The Big Bend region contains one of the most ecologically unique landscapes in North America. The ecosystems along the Rio Grande—including desert, river, canyon, and riparian habitats—are interconnected and essential to the survival of countless plant and animal species. Physical barriers fragment wildlife corridors, block migration routes, disrupt water flow, and permanently damage fragile desert and river ecosystems that cannot be restored once destroyed. Beyond the ecological harm, wall construction in this region would negatively affect the lives and livelihoods of Texans who live and work along the border. Ranchers, farmers, tourism businesses, and local communities depend on access to their land and on the natural beauty that makes the Big Bend region a national and international destination. A border wall in this region would also represent a massive expenditure of taxpayer funds for a project that provides limited security benefit while causing long-term environmental and economic damage. This approach does not address the root challenges of immigration policy. Instead of investing billions of dollars into barriers that divide communities and damage irreplaceable landscapes, Congress should focus on meaningful immigration reform—legislation that secures the border while creating a humane, functional, and efficient system for processing migrants and asylum seekers. The Big Bend region is one of Texas’s most treasured landscapes and an ecological resource of national importance. It deserves protection, not destruction. I urge you to oppose funding or authorization for any border wall construction in the Big Bend region or elsewhere along the Rio Grande. Please work instead toward policies that protect both the environment and the rights of the people who live along our border. Thank you for your time and for your service.