It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting High Desert Museum in Bend, TX gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Bend, TX is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
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“I am so grateful for the exceptional care my mother received from Always Best Care of Boerne. Ken, the owner, and Veronica, our appointment scheduler, were both wonderful from the very beginning. Veronica was fantastic—she was an incredibly effective and caring communicator. She kept me fully informed about caregiver schedules, promptly addressed any concerns about my mom, and even reached out to other family members when I wasn’t available. Her thoughtfulness and reliability made a stressful time so much easier to navigate. What touched our family most was how genuinely the caregivers cared—not only for my mom, but also for my dad, even though he was not under their care. Their compassion and kindness went above and beyond and gave us tremendous peace of mind. I highly recommend Always Best Care of Boerne to anyone looking for professional, compassionate in-home care. Thank you to Ken, Veronica, and the entire team for the wonderful support and dedication. We truly appreciate you.”
“We are very grateful for Kass and the team at Always Best Care Senior Services - Home Care Services in Boerne. We needed dependable in-home senior care in Fredericksburg, Texas for my mother, who is also on hospice, and finding the right care partner had been difficult. After looking around and talking to multiple options, we finally found a team that is truly living up to expectations. The hospice support is important, but the in-home care component has made a major difference for our family. Kass has been responsive, compassionate, professional, and consistent. The caregivers have helped provide the extra daily support, comfort, and attention my mother needs, while also giving our family more peace of mind. It is clear that Ken and the ownership team care about doing this the right way. They understand that families are not just looking for basic home care services — they are looking for trust, communication, reliability, and people who treat their loved ones with dignity. For anyone searching for senior home care, caregiver services, hospice support assistance, companion care, or personal care in Fredericksburg, Boerne, Kerrville, Comfort, or the Texas Hill Country, I would strongly recommend Always Best Care Senior Services. They have been a blessing to our family, and we appreciate the care and professionalism they have shown.”
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“For those who are searching for qualified caregivers for their loved ones, contact Ken Thomas at Always Best Care Senior Services. Mr. Thomas provides an authentic and professional guiding hand when discussing available services for your precious senior family members. When it is time for a beloved senior to receive assistance, Mr. Thomas understands the importance of providing trustworthy and quality support.”
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Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Drake Park in Bend, TX with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local The Blacksmith Restaurant or visit Drake Park, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Bend, TX, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Bend, TX understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Bend, TX 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
COMSTOCK, Texas (AP) — The Trump administration has started building the border wall through a west Texas section of the Big Bend region, marking the first major construction in an area of the U.S.-Mexico border where the administration’s plans have met heavy opposition.The start of construction marks an important milestone in the administration’s $46 billion plan to line the border with walls, barriers, roads and technology as it seeks to make good on a key campaign promise by President Donald Trump to finish the wa...
COMSTOCK, Texas (AP) — The Trump administration has started building the border wall through a west Texas section of the Big Bend region, marking the first major construction in an area of the U.S.-Mexico border where the administration’s plans have met heavy opposition.
The start of construction marks an important milestone in the administration’s $46 billion plan to line the border with walls, barriers, roads and technology as it seeks to make good on a key campaign promise by President Donald Trump to finish the wall. And it comes as Customs and Border Protection says it has doubled the pace at which it is building the wall across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Customs and Border Protection said in a statement to The Associated Press that “border wall panel installation is underway” in a 47-mile stretch of Hudspeth County in west Texas known as Big Bend 1. There are a total of five project areas that make up the roughly 500-mile Big Bend region stretching from an area of Hudspeth County south of El Paso to Lake Amistad.
CBP said the first panels were erected on September 15. On a map on the agency’s website where the agency posts updates of wall construction across the entire southern border, a photo showed a crane lifting one of the 30-foot-tall steel wall panels into place while construction workers looked on.
The new activity was separate from a border infrastructure project in the nearby Big Bend National Park, where the administration has temporarily suspended construction in an attempt to reach out to opponents.
In the broader Big Bend region of Texas, CBP has run up against concerted opposition from landowners, environmental groups, business owners and ranchers who say the remote region isn’t a high-traffic area for illegal immigration.
Activists said Friday they would continue opposing the border infrastructure projects in the rest of the Big Bend region, even as the panels were being installed.
Clara Benson, one of the founders of the No Big Bend Wall Coalition which has been fighting against CBP’s plans, said in an interview Friday that the organization had been receiving reports of trucks moving supplies into the remote area along the Rio Grande and that contractors had been clearing yards to stage supplies.
But speaking from Washington, D.C. where she and others in the coalition were meeting with lawmakers, she said that the organization and others would continue to fight the wall-building plans across the region.
“We will continue to fight for this land no matter what the outcome is. We will continue fighting to the end,” said Benson. “You talk to people in west Texas and they say even if they put it up, we’ll fight for them to take it down. So this fight is not over.”
The news comes as the administration is speeding forward with a plan to line the entire border with a combination of 30-foot-tall steel bollard walls, barriers designed to stop vehicles from crossing the border, new patrol roads, and various technologies to deter and detect migrants or smugglers from crossing the border.
Customs and Border Protection said it is building an average of 12 miles of barriers per week along the 2,000-mile border with Mexico and recently reached a milestone of 200 miles of new barriers built since the second Trump administration took office.
The 12-miles-a-week average is double the pace that the agency’s head, Rodney Scott, cited earlier this year.
The agency has faced opposition from environmental groups, a small town that worries the wall will cause flooding in its area, Native Americans who say the construction is disturbing sacred sites and landowners who say the construction will infringe on their land.
In Texas, much of the opposition has centered on the agency’s plans for Big Bend National Park, in the state’s southwest on the Rio Grande that is a draw for tourists from around the world. But up and downriver outside the park, much of the land is owned by private landowners, many of whom have pushed back against the government’s efforts.
Earlier this week, landowners, ranchers and business owners in the Big Bend region along with a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the region’s landscape and heritage sued to stop the administration’s plans.
Activists and landowners have also shown up at county meetings to push their elected officials not to cooperate with contractors hired by CBP to build the wall, and many landowners have refused to allow government officials or contractors onto their land to survey it.
New panels for the border wall are being installed in West Texas, marking the start of visible construction on a 47.3-mile project in the Big Bend region as President Donald Trump’s administration expands its barrier network along the southern border.U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said the first panels for the Big Bend 1 project in Hudspeth County went up on September 15, the Associated Press first reported.Work is beginning amid legal challenges and resistance from landowners concerned about the federal governm...
New panels for the border wall are being installed in West Texas, marking the start of visible construction on a 47.3-mile project in the Big Bend region as President Donald Trump’s administration expands its barrier network along the southern border.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said the first panels for the Big Bend 1 project in Hudspeth County went up on September 15, the Associated Press first reported.
Work is beginning amid legal challenges and resistance from landowners concerned about the federal government’s plans for the remote region.
The development gives new significance to CBP’s Smart Wall map, which records 232.4 miles of various border infrastructure completed since January 20, 2025, and shows hundreds more moving through design or construction.
Newsweek contacted CBP on Saturday morning via email for further comment.
Trump directed federal agencies in January 2025 to construct temporary and permanent physical barriers supported by personnel and technology.
CBP said it is using $46.5 billion from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to develop what it calls the “Smart Wall.”
The latest work extends that program into a part of Texas where rugged terrain and private ownership have historically limited continuous fencing.
CBP’s plans can affect landowners, border communities and visitors to public spaces through new walls, roads, surveillance equipment and vehicle barriers.
Big Bend 1 is one component of CBP’s plan for approximately 175 miles of primary barrier across Hudspeth, Jeff Davis and Presidio counties.
Agency planning documents say the system may include surveillance cameras, lighting, fiber-optic and power cables, utility shelters, and access and patrol roads.
Work has moved forward first near Sierra Blanca, east of El Paso.
The other two primary wall projects shown on CBP’s map cover 62.2 miles and 56.3 miles respectively, but reporting published on September 18 said construction had not begun on those Presidio County sections.
Access to private land presents a significant complication.
Some property owners are challenging the administration’s use of eminent domain and environmental-law waivers, potentially leaving the government able to build on certain parcels but not others.
Newsweek spoke with No Big Bend Wall Coalition, an advocacy group that opposes plans to expand border wall infrastructure. Clara Bensen, the group's communications director, told Newsweek over email that her group estimates some 400 landowners hold title to properties with Rio Grande frontage, where the CBP is looking to obtain rights to construct more wall.
“We have residents in every county observing traffic, and there were several reports of steel bollards being moved down to the border last week,” Bensen said.
“Putting together a significant, contiguous stretch of wall will still be a lengthy process across hundreds of landowners. With billions at play, contractors are highly incentivized to proceed with construction ahead of the midterms--whether or not it makes sense,” Bensen added.
Bob Krumenaker, a former Big Bend National Park superintendent who chairs Keep Big Bend Wild, said in The Guardian opposition had crossed party lines: “I’m very optimistic that there is a lot of support for Big Bend. This is a nonpartisan issue.”
A coalition of West Texas landowners has also filed a federal lawsuit shortly before the construction update, seeking to stop projects across the region.
“Economic concerns are also significant. Our entire region is highly dependent on tourism. Visitors come from all over the world to see this pristine landscape and to gaze at the Milky Way at night. Border barriers will corrupt the draw of this landscape.
She also noted that the area had been settled by indigenous tribes for thousands of years. “Many native people still live here today,” she said.
“A wall disrupts their current livelihoods, but also may bulldoze many sacred and historic sites along the river—forever,” Bensen added.
CBP has published a live interactive Smart Wall map that allows people to explore individual projects and view their construction status. You can see the live map here.
CBP’s map depicts a collection of different enforcement structures, not one uninterrupted wall.
The map uses color-coded lines to distinguish bollard, vehicle and waterborne barriers from supporting infrastructure and technology-only sections without a wall.
Red marks bollard barriers, orange vehicle barriers, blue waterborne barriers, purple system attributes only; light green technology and patrol roads without a wall; and dark green technology-only coverage without a wall or road.
The categories reflect the wider mix of barriers, roads and detection technology included in CBP’s Smart Wall program.
For new primary Smart Wall, the agency lists 357.4 miles under construction, 193.1 miles awarded and 70 miles completed. Another 417.2 miles of secondary wall are being built, while 88.5 miles are awarded and 72.1 miles are finished.
Waterborne systems represent another major category, with 375.2 miles under construction, 115.4 miles awarded and 42.1 miles complete.
Replacement of existing primary barriers accounts for a smaller share.
Those figures cannot simply be combined and described as a single length of new wall.
Primary fencing, parallel secondary structures and river barriers may occupy the same general locations.
Terminology matters too. CBP uses “under construction” when wall panels or waterborne barriers are being built or deployed.
“Awarded” may mean a project remains in design, although it can also cover early construction activity.
CBP said it does not intend to install 30-foot steel bollard walls inside Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park or the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area.
Cameras, sensors and low-profile vehicle barriers are planned instead.
That distinction means construction in Hudspeth County should not be conflated with separate work proposed inside the national park.
CBP said it is coordinating with the National Park Service to maintain access to the Rio Grande and hiking trails while identifying cultural, historical and biological resources that could be affected.
The plans have drawn public protests in and around Big Bend National Park, including demonstrations at Santa Elena Canyon on August 12 and in Study Butte, Texas, on August 15, as residents and public lands advocates raised concerns about construction in the protected landscape.
Demonstrators gathered with signs opposing border infrastructure in one of West Texas’ best-known protected landscapes.
Physical barriers make up only part of the program. CBP plans approximately 538 miles of technology beside previously built barriers and about 205 miles of detection equipment near Big Bend vehicle barriers.
A further 167 miles of the border are expected to receive separately funded detection technology because terrain or remoteness makes wall construction unfavorable.
Combined with the Big Bend deployment, CBP says approximately 372 miles will be covered by technology alone.
The immediate questions are whether construction extends beyond the parcels now available to the government, how pending litigation affects the schedule and when the remaining Big Bend sections advance.
CBP cautions that mileage may change as designs and routes are finalized. Its map also does not provide project-level completion dates, final costs or independent measurements showing how each barrier type affects unlawful crossings, smuggling or migrant safety.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn .
Contact Newsweek editor on this story: Cristina Diciu and Edward Pearcey.
Update 09/20/2026, 06:54 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include comment from Clara Bensen.
The Trump administration says its current pause on border construction in Big Bend National Park will last “at minimum” until the end of the month, according to a Monday court filing in a lawsuit over the project.U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott ordered all construction activity to stop last Monday ahead of his visit to the area, which was prompted by public outcry over land clearing and road grading getting underway in the park.The agency’s current plans call for new patrol roads, ...
The Trump administration says its current pause on border construction in Big Bend National Park will last “at minimum” until the end of the month, according to a Monday court filing in a lawsuit over the project.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott ordered all construction activity to stop last Monday ahead of his visit to the area, which was prompted by public outcry over land clearing and road grading getting underway in the park.
The agency’s current plans call for new patrol roads, vehicle barriers and technology in the park rather than the 30-foot-tall steel bollard walls other parts of the region are set to receive. But opponents have continued to advocate against border construction of any kind in the area, especially within the national park, a long-protected swath of pristine desert landscape.
Among those opponents are the local nonprofit People of La Junta for Preservation, a coalition of members of the Lipan Apache community, and Far Flung Outdoor Center, a Terlingua river outfitter, that are now suing the administration to block construction across the Big Bend region.
In its lawsuit, the indigenous group argues that the alteration or destruction of ancestral sites will “substantially burden” their Native religious practices, while the river outfitter alleges economic harm to its tourism-reliant business. People of La Junta for Preservation stewards over 130 acres along the Rio Grande in the area.
The plaintiffs point out that the Trump administration’s “Smart Wall” project extends far beyond the border barriers themselves — to include roads, excavation, lighting, surveillance equipment, staging areas and other construction work — that they say has the potential to irrevocably harm habitat, the river, archaeological sites and dark skies “whose value depends substantially upon their undisturbed location, context, and relationship to the surrounding landscape.”
In the government’s response to those alleged harms, filed on Monday, attorneys for the Department of Homeland Security actively defended the project, arguing it is needed to stop the flow of illegal immigration and drug trafficking and that CBP has “extensive procedures in place to minimize the effects of construction on the environment.”
They wrote that activities that have taken place in the park so far including establishing access routes and removing vegetation constitute as “preconstruction,” fieldwork that will inform the designs of the patrol roads, vehicle barriers and technology which are not yet finalized by contractors.
They wrote that border construction plans in the national park “are now subject to a review by the Commissioner.” But warn the pause could cause delays for other activities originally planned for early September like the preparation of laydown yards and staging areas, as well as more vegetation removal and grading.
The government wrote in the recent court filing that injuries People of La Junta for Preservation and Far Flug Outdoor Center are alleging are “speculative,” and that there are no plans to install “pedestrian barriers or stadium lighting.”
“The compelling interests of the federal government in border security greatly outweigh the speculative harm that the projects may cause Plaintiffs, especially when the government’s mitigation efforts are considered,” the filing said.
The current timeline of the construction pause through at least August was outlined in a Monday court filing from Paul Enriquez, a Border Patrol official overseeing the Big Bend area border wall projects. In the filing, Enriquez firmly opposed the plaintiffs’ notion that border construction will change the character or nature of the region in a written declaration.
“The planned construction will not make the area any less remote, peaceful, and will not impact its suitability for river or outdoor recreation,” he wrote.
But communities on the ground are feeling the rising tension of the border barrier projects as the rapid development of several large man camps for wall workers get underway and staging areas for steel wall panels have popped up across the Big Bend region. Damage to an archeological site in Presidio County known as the Porvenir Massacre site has already taken place, according to one local archeologist, at the hands of CBP’s border wall contractors.
A hearing on the plaintiffs’ request for a temporary block on construction is set for Friday afternoon at a federal courthouse in San Antonio.
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The Trump administration began construction on a portion of the U.S.-Mexico border wall cutting through southwest Texas’s Big Bend region despite local leaders’ pushback against the project.Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told the Associated Press Friday that installation of 30-foot panels was already underway along this portion southern border. The construction started earlier this week, with the agency posted a photo to its website appearing to show a crane lifting one piece of the wall into place.Big Bend is ...
The Trump administration began construction on a portion of the U.S.-Mexico border wall cutting through southwest Texas’s Big Bend region despite local leaders’ pushback against the project.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told the Associated Press Friday that installation of 30-foot panels was already underway along this portion southern border. The construction started earlier this week, with the agency posted a photo to its website appearing to show a crane lifting one piece of the wall into place.
Big Bend is located on the bend of the Rio Grande and is known for its mountain range, river canyons and desert landscape; it is also home to an eponymous national park. There are five total projects in the region, with the Hudspeth County project being called “Big Bend 1″ on CBP’s website.
CBP added that it is not planning to construct a wall in “Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, or the Black Gap Wildlife Management Area.”
A federal judge paused Big Bend projects 2 and 4 until the end of September to “allow for additional public engagement.”
Local leaders and residents of Big Bend have expressed concern that the border wall projects will infringe on landowners’ rights. They also fear its presence will diminish its national park, in turn, impacting the economy.
Clara Benson, the founder of the No Big Bend Wall Coalition, told the AP she had received reports of construction supplies moving into the regions, adding her group would “continue to fight for this land no matter what the outcome is.”
“We will continue fighting to the end,” Benson said, per the AP. “You talk to people in west Texas and they say even if they put it up, we’ll fight for them to take it down. So this fight is not over.”
Yolanda Alvarado, a local cattle rancher and regional director for advocacy group No Big Bend Wall, said, “Our livelihoods are threatened at this point. Not just landowners, but business owners, and not just Big Bend National Park …. it’s everyone in this region.”
In March, bipartisan sheriffs from five counties wrote a letter to federal and state officials opposing the wall in the region. More recently, outgoing Texas Sen. John Cornyn (R) urged federal officials to meet with stakeholders about the issue.
CBP did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment.
Construction has begun on part of the Trump administration’s 175-mile border wall through the Big Bend region, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.On Thursday, CBP’s online map of border infrastructure projects showed that a segment of the Big Bend area wall in Hudspeth County was “under construction.” It’s unclear when exactly the construction started; a CBP spokesperson didn’t immediately answer questions from Marfa Public Radio.That project – known as “Big Bend 1&rd...
Construction has begun on part of the Trump administration’s 175-mile border wall through the Big Bend region, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
On Thursday, CBP’s online map of border infrastructure projects showed that a segment of the Big Bend area wall in Hudspeth County was “under construction.” It’s unclear when exactly the construction started; a CBP spokesperson didn’t immediately answer questions from Marfa Public Radio.
That project – known as “Big Bend 1” – accounts for about 47 miles of the broader plan for a 30-foot-tall steel border wall stretching from an area south of Sierra Blanca, Texas to Big Bend Ranch State Park in Presidio County. Construction has not yet started on the wall’s two segments through Presidio County, according to the CBP map.
The news comes just days after a coalition of West Texas landowners sued the Trump administration over the wall plan in federal court, arguing the administration’s waiver of federal environmental laws for the project was illegal. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to stop border wall construction in the entire region. That includes halting separate projects calling for steel vehicle barriers and roads inside Big Bend National Park – southeast of Hudspeth County – where construction remains paused amid other legal challenges.
Laiken Jordahl, an environmental advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity, said in an interview Thursday that he and other activists did not see border wall panels being installed when they visited the Big Bend 1 project area earlier this month, though they did see widespread signs of construction activity gearing up. Jordahl’s group is among those suing over the border plans.
“I saw the largest staging area, the largest amount of scraped bare earth that I have ever seen anywhere along the border,” he said. “We saw concrete batching plants, dozens of earth movers, the largest water tank I’ve ever seen in my life.”
The nonprofit Conserve Big Bend is among the plaintiffs in this week’s landowner lawsuit against the wall plan. The group also spearheads the “No Big Bend Wall” coalition.
Clara Bensen, one of the group’s board members, said in a statement to Marfa Public Radio the construction start shows “harm is imminent and we are beyond the planning and research phase of this project, which is contrary to what CBP has been saying.”
“This development will likely be reflected in the legal argument the landowner lawsuit will make,” Bensen said.
The Trump administration has awarded more than $7 billion in federal contracts for the various border wall and related infrastructure plans across the Border Patrol’s Big Bend Sector. The sector has historically seen among the lowest numbers of illegal border crossings across the Southwest, with border apprehensions in the region accounting for just 1.3% of all apprehensions along the southern border in 2025, according to CBP data.
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