Val Verde County commissioners oppose border wall west of Lake Amistad

Val Verde County commissioners took a formal stand Wednesday against a proposed border wall west of Lake Amistad, unanimously authorizing County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. to send a letter opposing the placement.

The vote does not stop the project on its own, but it gives the county an official position as questions grow over where federal or state planners may try to place new barriers near Del Rio, Langtry and the bluff country above the Rio Grande. Owens told the court the wall plan has changed shape several times, moving from a physical wall to a virtual wall and then to a vehicle barrier, leaving local officials uncertain about what is actually being proposed.

Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez told commissioners he had received only limited information from federal partners and understood that no land work would begin until landowners agreed. Martinez said the discussion he had heard centered on a study and possible vehicle barriers rather than immediate construction. He also said buoy barriers in the Rio Grande were being discussed, but details remained scarce.

Commissioner Gustavo Flores said he had also heard directly from worried property owners in his precinct. Their concern is centered on land west of Lake Amistad, where residents have already received letters indicating that a physical wall could be considered. Landowners and archaeologists have warned that construction in that stretch could affect Lower Pecos rock art and other culturally significant sites.

The county’s action comes against a backdrop of unfinished and fragmented wall construction in Val Verde County. The Texas border wall already begins west of the Amistad Dam, where built sections are not continuous, and previous efforts have been limited by landowner resistance and difficult terrain along the river corridor.

This is also not the first time county leaders have had to weigh wall access and placement. A November 8, 2023, Commissioners Court agenda shows the court considered whether to allow the State of Texas to build border wall along Vega Verde Road within the county right of way. Wednesday’s unanimous vote extends that pattern, with county officials again asserting a local role in a project shaped by federal planning, state action and private property concerns.

Owens said the county website would link to a site dealing with the proposed wall plans, keeping the issue visible as the next steps unfold. For now, the court’s action is both a political signal and a procedural move: Val Verde County is on record opposing wall placement west of Lake Amistad, and local leaders are demanding clarity before any work reaches private land.