Border Wall Through Big Bend Apparently On Hold

C APITAL Highlights 

After public outcry, a physical border wall through Big Bend National Park appears to be on hold, The Texas Tribune reported.

In February, the Trump administration waived more than two dozen environmental laws in order to clear the way for a 150-milelong wall through West Texas, including Big Bend and the adjoining state park. Opposition quickly arose from people and politicians from both parties.

The sheriffs of Brewster, Culberson, Hudspeth, Presidio and Terrell counties — a mix of Democrats and Republicans — wrote an open letter that said: “Based on decades of combined experience working with this terrain, we believe that construction of a continuous physical border wall in the Big Bend region would not represent the most practical or strategic approach to border security in this area.”

Now, a map on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website no longer indicates plans to construct a physical wall in the Big Bend region. It is unclear if those plans are final, since the map has been changed several times in the past few weeks.

The rugged area historically has been the least-busy of the nine Border Patrol sectors, accounting for just 1.3% of the 237,538 apprehensions recorded along the entire U.S.-Mexico border during the last fiscal year.

State On Trial for Un-Airconditioned Prisons 

The state of Texas is now on trial in an Austin federal court to determine whether it must provide air-conditioning in state prisons, kut. org reported. Inmates and their attorneys have argued for decades that summer conditions — where temperatures can reach 110 degrees — constitute cruel and unusual punishment. “The Constitution requires living conditions that are not exposing individuals to high heat levels, and the evidence has consistently shown that what TDCJ has done as an alternative has just not been effective,” attorney Brandon Duke said. “It’s not a solution.” The state counters that it is bringing more AC online at its prisons. Plaintiff attorneys say at least five inmates have died in Texas from heat-related illness since 2023.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice says it would cost $1.5 billion to install air-conditioning systems at all its prisons, and that state lawmakers must approve the funding.

U.S. District Judge Robert Pittman is expected to rule from the bench after the trial concludes.