Texas Land Commissioner Orders Federal Contractor to Halt Operations on State Land
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham has issued a cease and desist letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and its contractor, Barnard Construction. The letter accuses the federal contractor of illegally clearing state land in Presidio County, near the…
Houston, TX, July 31, 2026 —
AUSTIN, TX – Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham has directed U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and its contractor, Barnard Construction, to cease and desist from further activity on state-owned land in Presidio County.
The cease and desist letter, issued by Buckingham, alleges that Barnard Construction has illegally cleared state land near the U.S.-Mexico border without obtaining the necessary permission from the Texas General Land Office (GLO). The land in question is part of a state lease managed by the GLO.
In the letter, Commissioner Buckingham asserted that the actions taken by the federal contractor have resulted in the devaluing of the state lease. Furthermore, she stated that the clearing of land constitutes an encroachment on state sovereignty.
The specific details regarding the extent of the cleared land, the timeline of the operations, and the precise location within Presidio County were not immediately available. The contractor’s name, Barnard Construction, and the agency involved, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, were explicitly named in the commissioner’s directive.
The GLO is responsible for managing state land leases. The allegations suggest that the federal contractor proceeded with land clearing activities without the required state authorization, leading to the current dispute over land use and ownership rights.
As of the latest information, the status of the permit for any such activity is unclear, and the outcome of any inspections related to this land clearing has not been provided. No specific code violations or fine amounts have been detailed in the communication from the Land Commissioner’s office.
The letter serves as a formal notice to halt all work on the contested state land. The implications of these actions on ongoing border security projects and the relationship between state and federal agencies remain to be seen.
Story summarized from the original created by Texas Tribune, Alejandro Santos Cid on www.click2houston.com, see more information here.
