The Donald Trump administration has paused the expansion of the border wall in Big Bend National Park, Texas, following months of questions and political pressure in the United States over the project’s potential effects on the border area with Chihuahua and Coahuila.
The temporary suspension will allow authorities to conduct a review of the terrain before determining the project’s next steps. The measure comes after a complaint filed on March 12, the contents of which reached the U.S. Congress a month later and prompted calls from Republican and Democratic lawmakers over the following four months.
The border project involves an estimated investment of $1.7 billion to build infrastructure along a stretch of more than 830 kilometers, from Santa Elena Canyon to Big Bend National Park.
Rodney Scott, commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), said the pause will allow officials to make adjustments and directly assess the conditions of the terrain where the new structures are planned.
The area under review lies across from the territories of Chihuahua and Coahuila, meaning the construction has also attracted attention because of its potential effects on the natural environment and water resources in the border region.
According to the project’s current plans, the expansion would be developed in four phases. Some of the infrastructure would be located near the Rio Grande, raising concerns about the river’s conditions and water availability.
One of the areas identified is the municipality of Ocampo, Coahuila, where the Rio Grande is an important resource for the region. Potential effects could also extend to other border municipalities, including Acuña and Piedras Negras.
The pause does not represent a definitive cancellation of the construction. The U.S. government will therefore have to determine whether to proceed with the project under the current conditions or introduce modifications after completing the terrain assessment.
For now, the review has placed one of the border projects planned by the Trump administration on hold, while discussions continue in the United States regarding its scope and the potential consequences for communities and natural resources on both sides of the border.
Source: elcoahuilense
