State leaders need to step up opposing the wall
As I write this I am looking out the window a few miles from Big Bend National Park and surrounded by Big Bend Ranch State Park. I can see the Rio Grande and the mountains in Mexico. My family has been coming here for over 50 years, and this is home for all of us. We have hiked the trails both in and out of the parks, and viewed 1,000-foot walls and scenery that you can’t see anywhere else in Texas.
We’ve been to Presidio and across the border to Ojinaga where we buy a special cheese and Mexican pastries. And we enjoy dining in the restaurants. We have been up river to a unique campground called Chinati Hot Springs and old ruins in Ruidosa, Texas. We have been on thrilling raft trips on the Rio Grande through Santa Elena Canyon where the boulders are as big as houses and up river canoeing through Colorado Canyon rapids in the state park.
You may have heard on the news that they won’t put a physical wall through the parks. That may or may not be true, but IT’S NOT OVER. They may put up technology in the parks that will require construction of roads and structures. That will disturb the ecosystem, interfere with habitat and damage the unique bio systems. If they put up lights, there will be no more Dark Skies, which is one of the reasons many people come to this area and may adversely affect the work of the McDonald Observatory in Ft. Davis. There are valuable archaeological sites, bird sanctuaries and migration patterns of bears, mountain lions, and other animals up and down the river that will be damaged or destroyed.
Up river and downriver from the parks in Presidio and Hudspeth counties they are still planning a physical wall and/or concertina wire and large buoys in the river. There is no reason for a wall or any other disturbance on the river. The landscape is so rugged and the weather so extreme that this area sees very little illegal crossing. In the past the government understood that and did not institute plans for a wall anywhere in the Big Bend. I believe that those who want to build a wall have not witnessed the magnificent scene that I can see out my window.
To get a sense of what could be lost forever, watch the feature length documentary available online called The River And The Wall. Then call or write to Sens. Cruz and Cornyn and Gov. Abbott and tell them to “Stop The Wall” and any constructed barriers anywhere on the river, up and down the Big Bend area and contiguous areas. Watch for accurate information at nobigbendwall.org.
Texans know the Rio Grande isn’t just a line on a map. It’s a river with history, a source of life, and in many places, a neighbor. For nearly two centuries, ever since the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War, it has marked the boundary between Texas and Mexico. But it’s always been more than that. It’s where cultures meet, where wildlife roams, and where the land still feels free and wild in a way that’s getting harder to find. And the night skies are breathtaking. The stars really are big and bright in Texas.
That’s why the idea of building a wall along large stretches of the Rio Grande is getting a lot of angry push back from all Americans. This angry opposition includes Democrats and Republicans, and local Texas officials, like sheriffs and county judges. In the Big Bend country, the river winds through some of the most beautiful scenery in Texas. Big Bend is home to black bears, mountain lions, javelinas, and hundreds of bird species.
People who visit the Big Bend country for the first time exclaim, “I had no idea that Texas has scenery like this!” According to the National Park Service, the region supports over 1,200 kinds of plants and hundreds of animal species. What makes that possible is movement—animals crossing back and forth along the river, just like they’ve done for generations.
A wall will have devastating consequences for the ecosystems in the area. Animals that need to reach water or find mates on the other side will be harmed. Over time, that kind of separation can weaken populations. Conservation groups like the World Wildlife Fund have warned that breaking up habitats like this is one of the biggest threats to wildlife worldwide.
And it’s not just the very certain harm to plants and wildlife. Building a wall in this kind of terrain isn’t simple. It means bulldozers, new roads, and tearing up land that’s been largely untouched. Along with lots of dust and noise. Reports from the U.S. Government Accountability Office have already pointed out problems like erosion and changes to how floodwaters move. In some places, existing sections of wall have actually made flooding worse by trapping debris during heavy rains.
Building a border wall near Big Bend National Park could significantly harm tourism in the Big Bend region. This area is prized for its open landscape, rugged beauty and the famous dark skies. A wall would disrupt Big Bend’s defining features, replacing natural scenery with a stark, artificial barrier. Visitors seeking solitude and wilderness would be discouraged, leading to fewer tourists and significantly reduced revenue for local businesses. Tourism in Big Bend depends not only on the land itself but on the sense of openness and remoteness.
Then there’s the very practical question of whether a wall would have a significant impact on illegal immigration. A lot of people assume illegal immigration mostly happens in remote areas along the river. Not true. Much of the area along the Rio Grande, especially in Brewster and Presidio counties, is a wilderness of desert, canyons and mountains. This area of wilderness is very dangerous to travelers without considerable resources and information.
The Big Bend is not very attractive for illegal immigration. Data from the Department of Homeland Security show that a large share of the illegal immigrant population, often cited as over 40%, comes from people entering legally and overstaying visas. A wall doesn’t address that. And even where walls already exist, people still find ways over, under, or around them. Think ladders, shovels, and drills.
The proposals to build a massive border wall project enormous expenditures of taxpayer money. Depending on the location, building a border wall has cost-projections anywhere from $15 million to $30 million per mile, with total spending reaching into the billions. And that’s just construction. Maintenance is ongoing—storms, erosion, and simple wear and tear don’t stop at the border.
Border security is vitally important. We must have an immigration policy that keeps Americans safe but recognizes both the humanitarian and economic issues with immigration. However, technology is available that would be far more effective and much less costly than a border wall. Technology like cameras, sensors, and drones can monitor large areas without tearing up the land. These tools can be adjusted and improved over time, instead of locking us into one expensive, permanent structure.
Large numbers of Texans are joining public protests, calling their representatives, and writing letters to argue against building a border wall. Americans all over the country, liberals and conservatives alike, are loudly protesting the building of a border wall in the Big Bend country of Texas. Unfortunately, for some national leaders, building a wall is about making a bold statement, about looking tough on immigration. It’s about building a wall and making Mexico pay for it. A wall is something you can point to, something that looks like bold action.
It’s past time for our Texas state leaders to speak up, to show they care more about what’s good for Texans than what the Washington politicians want. Good leadership means standing up for what’s right, protecting the land, respecting taxpayers, and thinking about what we leave behind for our children and grandchildren.
I hope our state leaders will step up and forcefully and loudly say to the Washington mob, “Don’t mess with Texas!”
Bill and Judy Balch
Lajitas