The Trump administration announced on Monday that construction activities related to a border wall project within Big Bend National Park have been suspended. This decision follows public outcry and the circulation of footage showing heavy machinery operating within the 800,000-acre Chihuahuan desert park.

Rodney Scott, the head of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), confirmed the pause via a social media statement. Scott indicated that the suspension is necessary to facilitate a personal, on-the-ground evaluation of the site. The project had previously faced scrutiny after the administration reportedly failed to announce the construction plans and initially denied that work was taking place in the area.

While the administration has framed the pause as a standard evaluative measure, the project remains a point of contention due to its location within a protected national park. The administration has not yet provided a timeline for how long the evaluation will last or whether the construction will resume in its current form once the assessment is complete.