The US administration has announced it will temporarily pause the controversial construction project in Big Bend National Park in Texas. This was stated during a visit to Texas by the head of the agency responsible for border construction, as reported by infohub.kz.
The project, which runs through the national park in southern Texas, has faced fierce bipartisan opposition. Critics say the construction is damaging a pristine natural area, and that the region's rugged and remote terrain already serves as a natural barrier to migrants and smugglers.
Rodney Scott, who heads Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which is tasked with building the wall, said in a statement on X that he was visiting Texas to conduct an evaluation. "CBP is pausing all construction activity in Big Bend National Park while I visit and conduct a personal, on-the-ground evaluation," Scott said.
Congress gave the Trump administration $46 billion last summer to build a wall from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. The administration has been racing ahead, waiving numerous regulations to expedite the work. Scott has said they expect to complete the first layer of the wall by the end of next year.
However, they have encountered strong opposition, especially in Texas, regarding construction in and near Big Bend National Park and a state park to the west.