1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to oppose and exercise strict oversight regarding the Department of Homeland Security’s recent environmental waivers and multi-billion-dollar border infrastructure contracts inside Big Bend National Park and the Rio Grande corridor. On June 8, 2026, DHS cast aside a broad slate of foundational American laws—including the National Park Service Organic Act and the Endangered Species Act—to fast-track heavy construction within Big Bend. This marks the first time in U.S. history that an administration has stripped these core legal protections from inside a designated national park. Regardless of your stance on border security, using explosives, cutting heavy patrol roads through pristine canyons, and installing industrial grid systems inside a crown jewel of our National Park System is a clear bridge too far. This project fails the test of common-sense governance: - Fiscally Irresponsible: DHS cleared a $1.7 billion contract for the Big Bend segment and a $2.6 billion contract for the adjacent Lower Canyons. By waiving federal procurement laws, DHS bypassed standard competitive bidding, handing massive contracts to corporate insiders without free-market competition. Spending billions of unchecked taxpayer dollars to alter rugged public parkland is an egregious misuse of funds. - Logistically Unnecessary: Federal data shows the rugged Big Bend Sector accounts for just 1.3% of total nationwide migrant apprehensions, with crossings dropping significantly over the last two years. Former park superintendents and local law enforcement have repeatedly warned that heavy militarization is unnecessary given the area's impassable geographic barriers. - Anti-Local and Anti-Conservation: This overreach tramples on Texas values, local land rights, and the outdoor heritage cherished by millions of hikers, hunters, and conservationists. It will permanently damage roadless canyon country, ruin one of America's darkest night skies with surveillance lighting, and disrupt critical wildlife corridors. Therefore, I ask that you take three immediate actions: 1. Defund the Destruction: Introduce and vote for budget riders in upcoming appropriations bills to prohibit DHS from spending federal funds on infrastructure or road construction within Big Bend National Park. 2. Demand Investigative Accountability: Use your oversight authority to launch a congressional investigation into DHS’s use of procurement waivers, forcing full transparency on these non-competitive contracts. 3. Reclaim Congressional Authority: Co-sponsor legislation to reform Section 102 of the REAL ID Act, ensuring federal bureaucrats cannot unilaterally strip legal protections from America's National Parks. Our national parks belong to the American people, not to federal overreach or well-connected contractors. Please defend local values, protect taxpayer dollars, and act immediately to preserve Big Bend.