| | | Forwarded this newsletter? Subscribe here. | It's 104 degrees outside. Dozens of my neighbors are standing in the middle of the freeway, rallying to save Big Bend National Park. | It's also National Park Week. This year's theme is "Celebrate America's Story," honoring the nation's 250th anniversary and the 110th birthday of the National Park Service. Meanwhile, communities across the state are fighting to protect these lands and the people on them from the Trump administration's anti-immigrant agenda. | Our parks have always been places to retreat and to rally. In today's issue: how to support organizers here in Texas, and what this fight means for a park near you. Plus stories of progress from across the country, the latest news, and a glimpse of what Big Bend has to offer. | This newsletter is made possible by readers like you. Consider making a one-time or monthly donation on our website, PayPal, or Venmo (@reimaginednews) to help sustain this work. If you’re already a donor, I appreciate you more than you know. You can always manage your subscription here. | Nicole | ps – looking for the audio version of this newsletter? Click to read the web version, and you’ll find the audio recording at the top of the page. This is a service provided by Beehiiv, our email publishing platform, and is AI-generated. |
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| | A field guide to the Big Bend protests |  | In this photograph from NPR, John Rakowitz waves a 'Don't tread on Big Bend' flag at a rally at Big Bend National Park where the federal government is looking to build patrol roads, vehicle barriers and surveillance systems. Photo Source: Carlos Morales/For NPR |
| When did this start? | The idea isn't new, but it moved fast this year. In May 2026, CBP commissioner Rodney Scott said wall plans in the area had been "called off." But a week later, the government awarded a $1.7 billion contract for a border wall in Big Bend, and in early June added a $2.6 billion contract for barriers near Terlingua. Texas Tribune > | The plan covers about 517 miles in a remote stretch of the park. CBP officials have said it doesn’t plan to build a 30-foot wall adopted elsewhere on the border, but vehicle barriers, patrol roads, detection tech and shelters. Time > | In June, the Department of Homeland Security waived more than 20 environmental and historic-preservation laws to clear the way — including the National Park Service Organic Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Opponents say it was the first time the government waived that broad a set of protections to build inside a national park. Center for Biological Diversity > | On August 6, contractors broke ground. Bulldozers began clearing native vegetation along the Rio Grande to make room for barriers and patrol roads. Reaching spots like Mariscal Mountain would require blasting through the rock. Center for Biological Diversity > | But didn’t they stop construction recently? | Pressured by mounting backlash, on August 17 the CBP Commissioner paused all construction so he could walk the site himself — a review he described as lasting "a couple of days." Texas Tribune > Governor Greg Abbott says DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin promised not to build there, but that promise isn't in writing, and the equipment is already on the ground. National Parks Conservation Association >
| Why is this happening? | To propel the administration’s agenda against immigration. The government says crossings there are frequent, and that securing this stretch of border is urgent for national security. But the government’s own numbers say otherwise: there were 3,096 apprehensions at the border in 2025, just 1.3% of all southern-border crossings. This statistic has decreased 74% from 2023. Time > | Why are people working to stop it? | The construction permanently changes the landscape of the park. Already, bulldozers have been filmed flattening tree lines and scattering animals. Plus, allowing the administration to move forward unchallenged sets a dangerous precedent for other anti-immigration tactics, and for what can be built inside any national park. It also comes with a hefty cost passed to the people: the proposed barriers cost an average of 14M of taxpayer dollars per mile across 517 miles. | | If you live in Texas, you can share a public comment until August 31. Email your thoughts about the work to BigBendComments@cbp.dhs.gov with "Big Bend Vehicle Border Barrier System Construction" in the subject line, or call (833) 412-2056. Follow and support Big Bend No Wall, a community coalition rallying and mobilizing against the destruction of the national park. Sign the petition urging Congress to protect the biodiversity of Big Bend. Tell your local leaders to take action directly.
| | Big Bend has less light pollution than any other national park in the continental U.S. On a clear night you can see thousands of stars and the full Milky Way with your naked eye. Learn more > In 1971, a student found fossils in the park belonging to Quetzalcoatlus northropi — one of the largest flying animals ever known, with a wingspan estimated around 35 to 40 feet, roughly the size of a small plane. It lived here about 68 million years ago.of the Milky Way with the naked eye. Learn more > Big Bend has recorded more than 450 species of birds — more than any other national park — along with some 1,200 kinds of plants, roughly 75 mammals, and dozens of reptiles. Explore > People have lived in the Big Bend region for at least 10,000 years, back to the Paleo-Indian hunters of the last Ice Age. Learn more >
| | | | | | | Rupture and Repair | Wednesday, September 30 | 3-5pm EST | Learn how to navigate moments of tension and conflict as they arise in professional settings. Participants will learn practical, real-time strategies for de-escalating situations, intervening effectively, and rebuilding trust after moments of rupture. We’ll develop a personalized toolkit for addressing workplace tensions while maintaining cultural awareness and psychological safety. | | |
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| | Conflict Evolution 101 | Thursday, October 1 | 3-5pm EST | Learn how to navigate moments of tension and conflict as they arise in professional settings. Participants will learn practical, real-time strategies for de-escalating situations, intervening effectively, and rebuilding trust after moments of rupture. Through hands-on practice and scenario work, we’ll develop a personalized toolkit for addressing workplace tensions while maintaining cultural awareness and psychological safety. | |
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| | | ICE is building capacity to detain thousands of immigrant children. The agency has contracted a private firm to locate unaccompanied minors, is replacing established legal-aid networks, and is building facilities to hold up to 3,000 children. |
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