1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

Stop the destruction of Big Bend National Park. Bulldozers broke ground on August 6th, plowing through native vegetation along the Rio Grande's riparian corridor — the wildest place left in Texas — under a $1.7 billion DHS contract. This construction must be halted immediately. The case against this project is overwhelming and bipartisan. All five sheriffs in the Big Bend border region oppose it. Seven former park superintendents have urged DHS to reject the waivers. More than 140 local businesses warn it will devastate the regional economy, which generates $63.7 million in total economic output annually. DHS waived dozens of environmental laws — including the Endangered Species Act and the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act — to push this through. That's the first time in U.S. history such broad protections have been stripped for construction inside a national park. And for what? The Big Bend Sector recorded zero unauthorized vehicle crossings and accounted for just 0.045% of national border apprehensions in 2025. This isn't border security — it's dynamite blasting through irreplaceable canyons to enrich private contractors. Use your authority to block funding for this project and demand DHS restore the environmental protections it illegally waived.