At Big Bend National Park, bulldozers begin clearing pristine desert land for border barrier work

Bulldozers have started clearing land at Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas as part of the Trump administration's border infrastructure expansion, drawing objections from environmentalists, local sheriffs and some state leaders. The construction, part of a smart wall expansion along the US-Mexico border, has been documented by activists at the mouth of Santa Elena Canyon in the roughly 500-mile Big Bend region, which includes Texas' largest and most-visited national park. A coalition of landowners, outdoor enthusiasts and business owners has raised concerns that the work would permanently change the area.