Longtime Republican voters in Texas’ Big Bend region say President Donald Trump’s border wall push could drive them to vote Democratic in November, as federal officials seek access to private ranches and warn landowners that property could be acquired through eminent domain.
Some residents who have traditionally backed Republicans told MS NOW that the fight over border construction has changed how they view the party. Their anger comes after months of opposition from ranchers and local officials who support stronger border enforcement but say permanent barriers are the wrong approach across Big Bend’s remote terrain.
Federal officials have identified an estimated 400 landowners for possible property acquisition in the region. Some have received letters seeking permission for government workers and contractors to enter their land for surveys. The notices warn that eminent domain proceedings could follow if an agreement cannot be reached.
Republican officials have also pushed back. Texas Senate nominee Ken Paxton called the administration’s Big Bend approach “not smart border security,” while state Rep. Wes Virdell warned that Republicans could lose votes if residents believe GOP leaders will not defend them. Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland, a Republican and former Border Patrol agent, has also questioned the need for a wall there.
Customs and Border Protection is pursuing roads, vehicle barriers, surveillance equipment and other infrastructure across the region. Officials have said a 30-foot pedestrian wall will not be built inside Big Bend National Park, although tall barriers have been planned for some private property outside the park.
Eminent domain gives the federal government power to acquire private property for public use. The Fifth Amendment requires just compensation, giving landowners the right to dispute what the government offers and challenge parts of the acquisition process.
One landowner was offered $2,500 for access to his property and warned that the government could pursue the land through eminent domain, according to The Texas Tribune. Residents have also raised concerns that barriers could divide ranches, restrict access to the Rio Grande and alter property held by families for generations.
The border plans are already being challenged in federal court.
People of La Junta for Preservation, Far Flung Outdoor Center and individual plaintiffs sued the Department of Homeland Security in August, alleging that construction threatens archaeological and cultural resources and interferes with Indigenous religious practices tied to the Rio Grande. The lawsuit also challenges the government’s authority to carry out parts of the work.
Federal officials waived dozens of legal requirements to accelerate construction. The plaintiffs maintain that other protections still apply, including laws covering Big Bend National Park and religious exercise.
U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia heard arguments in August over an emergency request to stop construction. The administration later agreed to pause new ground-disturbing activity, and that pause has been extended through Sept. 30 for two Big Bend projects while CBP conducts additional public engagement.
Resistance has also come from Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, a Republican and Trump supporter. She sent CBP and a contractor a cease-and-desist letter in July after accusing crews of improperly clearing state-owned land in Presidio County.
Gov. Greg Abbott later said federal officials assured him that a wall or fence would not be built inside Big Bend National Park. Plans affecting private property elsewhere in the region remain a source of opposition.
Big Bend is the Border Patrol’s largest sector by geography, covering 517 miles of the southern border and 77 Texas counties. Yet the sector accounted for about 1.3% of Border Patrol apprehensions nationwide during the last fiscal year, a figure opponents have cited in questioning the scale of construction.
Border security has long been a political strength for Republicans in Texas. The Big Bend fight has put some of the party’s own voters on the other side of a Trump immigration initiative as the GOP heads into a competitive November election.
Ground-disturbing work on the two disputed Big Bend projects remains paused through Sept. 30 while the federal lawsuit and the broader fight over private land continue.
