Perlodid
Well-known member
https://www.publicdomain.media/p/bulldozers-big-bend-border-wall
Since last week, activists have shared video footage that appeared to show heavy machinery laying the groundwork for new border infrastructure that Customs and Border Protection did not announce and initially denied was happening. By Thursday, photographer Natalie Newman captured video footage of bulldozers plowing earth at the mouth of the Santa Elena Canyon, an iconic and frequently visited stretch of the Rio Grande flanked by 1,500-foot cliffs.
Over the following months, the Trump administration’s plans for Big Bend constantly shifted. CBP first signaled in February that it planned to erect a 30-foot steel bollard wall across an area that is naturally obstructed by steep cliffs. Facing a sharp backlash from park users and locals, CBP walked those plans back, eventually publishing a more limited plan of about 200 miles of new patrol roads and four sections of non-contiguous vehicle barriers measuring about six feet tall and totaling 17 miles. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) waived dozens of federal environmental and cultural protection laws to speed construction along.
At first, CBP publicly denied that the bulldozers had anything to do with its construction plans, issuing a statement last week that instead said the agency was re-grading roads damaged by heavy rains. CBP spokesperson John Mennell later backtracked, telling SF Gate that the bulldozers were turning up ground to assess the soil for construction. This week, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said more barriers and roads were needed to keep the park “free from fear of cartel activity.” Scott said the bulldozers were doing prep work for planned roads and vehicle barriers, but that construction had not started.
"What people are seeing right now is survey and design work–NOT construction of a wall through the park,” Scott said. “We are working to preserve the landscape and protect the access visitors and local businesses depend on.”
Since last week, activists have shared video footage that appeared to show heavy machinery laying the groundwork for new border infrastructure that Customs and Border Protection did not announce and initially denied was happening. By Thursday, photographer Natalie Newman captured video footage of bulldozers plowing earth at the mouth of the Santa Elena Canyon, an iconic and frequently visited stretch of the Rio Grande flanked by 1,500-foot cliffs.
Over the following months, the Trump administration’s plans for Big Bend constantly shifted. CBP first signaled in February that it planned to erect a 30-foot steel bollard wall across an area that is naturally obstructed by steep cliffs. Facing a sharp backlash from park users and locals, CBP walked those plans back, eventually publishing a more limited plan of about 200 miles of new patrol roads and four sections of non-contiguous vehicle barriers measuring about six feet tall and totaling 17 miles. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) waived dozens of federal environmental and cultural protection laws to speed construction along.
At first, CBP publicly denied that the bulldozers had anything to do with its construction plans, issuing a statement last week that instead said the agency was re-grading roads damaged by heavy rains. CBP spokesperson John Mennell later backtracked, telling SF Gate that the bulldozers were turning up ground to assess the soil for construction. This week, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said more barriers and roads were needed to keep the park “free from fear of cartel activity.” Scott said the bulldozers were doing prep work for planned roads and vehicle barriers, but that construction had not started.
"What people are seeing right now is survey and design work–NOT construction of a wall through the park,” Scott said. “We are working to preserve the landscape and protect the access visitors and local businesses depend on.”
