Texas land commissioner calls for protecting Big Bend as Supreme Court allows border wall construction to resume

Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham is urging the Trump administration to reconsider how it approaches border security in the Big Bend region, arguing that the area’s rugged terrain already provides natural protection and that federal construction projects must respect state property rights and local communities. Buckingham’s comments came Tuesday, Nov. 10, one day after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the federal government to resume border barrier construction in West Texas while litigation challenging the project continues. The Republican land commissioner, who has supported aggressive border enforcement policies, said protecting Texas from illegal crossings and preserving the Big Bend landscape should not be competing priorities. “Texas can secure our border and protect Big Bend,” Buckingham said in a statement released by the Texas General Land Office.

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