Texas Orders Federal Border Contractors to Stop Clearing State Land

Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham issued cease-and-desist letters on July 31, 2026, to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and federal contractor Barnard Construction. The Texas General Land Office (GLO) alleges the company illegally trespassed on and destroyed more than a mile of state-managed land in Presidio County to facilitate the BBT-3 Border Barrier Construction Project, a $960 million Department of Homeland Security contract.

According to the GLO, Barnard Construction used heavy equipment to blade terrain and remove vegetation across state lands without written consent. The affected area is part of a 10,000-acre lease held by Trans Pecos Ice LLC. The GLO asserts that this unauthorized activity devalued the lease and disrupted grazing acreage, which negatively impacts revenue for the Permanent School Fund.

Buckingham has ordered the contractor to immediately stop all excavation, restore the land to its original condition, and submit a reclamation plan for approval, threatening legal action if the orders are ignored. She characterized the event as an unacceptable defacement of state lands, stating that the dispute concerns land control and state sovereignty rather than border security.

CBP stated that the contractor is responsible for verifying legal property access but expressed a desire to resolve the issue with the GLO. The conflict occurs amid broader environmental concerns from the No Big Bend Wall Coalition regarding potential flooding, although federal maps currently indicate a bollard barrier system rather than a physical wall for the western flank of Big Bend Ranch State Park.