Some of the most pristine Texas land, full of centuries of history and a bounty of biodiversity, is beginning to feel the full weight of a two-decade-old border security law the Trump administration is wielding with force.
Ugh… They are striking my old stomping grounds. This is just intolerable and stupid on so many levels. This is 2026 folks. Building a wall to keep out people is akin to sending troops into battle and having them throw rocks. This is about as low-tech as it gets. And there are not enough crossings there to justify this nonsense.
There are much more effective ways to accomplish this goal;
Autonomous Surveillance Towers (ASTs): Self-contained, solar-powered mobile towers equipped with radar and high-definition day/night cameras to spot movement across vast distances.
Long-Range Ground Sensors: Seismic, magnetic, and acoustic sensors buried or hidden near paths to pick up foot or vehicle traffic without altering the landscape.
Real-Time Video Feeds: Integrated command-and-control software that streams data directly to mobile Border Patrol units.
Building a border wall here would ruin fragile desert ecosystems, disrupt wildlife migration and destroy this beautiful landscape.
Further, almost everyone opposes it. The citizens don’t want it, local businesses oppose it, the border patrol doesn’t want it, 5 county sheriffs don’t want it and bipartisan Texans slam Big Bend border construction.
“This is devastating to watch. State leadership should be stopping this purely political stunt destroying Big Bend. They don’t have the courage to stand up to Trump,” said state Rep. Vikki Goodwin (D-47), who is running for lieutenant governor.
This is such a beautiful, wild land. It hurts me to see this.
