Trump administration starts building border wall in Big Bend region of Texas, despite heavy opposition from landowners, businesses and ranchers

The Trump administration has commenced construction of the border wall in west Texas's Big Bend region, a section where opposition from landowners, businesses, and ranchers has been significant. This marks a key milestone in the administration's $46 billion plan to erect walls, barriers, roads, and technology along the U.S.-Mexico border, fulfilling President Donald Trump's promise to finish the wall.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced that panel installation for the 47-mile stretch in Hudspeth County, known as Big Bend 1, has already begun. The first panels were raised on September 15, as confirmed by a photo on CBP's website. The construction is part of a broader effort encompassing five project areas within the roughly 500-mile Big Bend region, stretching from Hudspeth County south of El Paso to Lake Amistad.

Despite the wall installation, CBP is also temporarily halting construction in the nearby Big Bend National Park to engage with opponents. Local activists, like Clara Benson from the No Big Bend Wall Coalition, have vowed to continue opposing the wall-building projects across the region, citing concerns from landowners, environmentalists, businesses, and ranchers who argue the area is not a high-risk zone for illegal immigration.

The administration is building an average of 12 miles of barriers per week across the 2,000-mile border, representing a doubling of the pace from the previous year. Opposition to the project remains strong, with landowners, ranchers, and business owners in the Big Bend region, along with a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the landscape, suing to halt the administration's plans.