Border Wall to Cut Through National Butterfly Center

U.S. Rep. Cuellar fights to exempt protected areas from new construction

Apr. 3, 2026 at 10:34pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

An abstract, overlapping geometric painting in bright colors showing a barbed wire fence cutting through a field of butterflies, conceptually representing the tension between border security and environmental conservation.A vibrant, fractured painting depicts the jarring intersection of border security infrastructure and protected butterfly habitats along the U.S.-Mexico border.Mission Today

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced plans to build 34 miles of border wall steel bollards through the National Butterfly Center and other previously exempted areas in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar, a Democrat from Texas, is pushing to get Congress to intervene and exempt these protected sites from the new construction.

Why it matters

The National Butterfly Center is a 100-acre nature preserve that is home to over 200 species of butterflies. Environmental groups have long fought to protect this and other sensitive areas along the border from wall construction, which they say threatens local ecosystems and wildlife. This latest development reignites the debate over balancing border security with conservation efforts.

The details

According to CBP, a contract has been awarded to build the new border wall segments through the National Butterfly Center and other previously protected areas. This comes despite past Congressional efforts to exempt these sites from wall construction. Representative Cuellar says he will work to get language in future DHS funding bills to prevent the wall from being built in these environmentally sensitive locations.

  • On March 31, 2026, CBP announced the plans to build 34 miles of new border wall.
  • Representative Cuellar says he will push for Congressional action in upcoming DHS funding bills.

The players

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar

A Democratic Congressman from Texas who is fighting to exempt the National Butterfly Center and other protected areas from new border wall construction.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

The federal agency that has awarded a contract to build 34 miles of new border wall through the National Butterfly Center and other previously exempted areas.

National Butterfly Center

A 100-acre nature preserve in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas that is home to over 200 species of butterflies and has been protected from previous border wall construction efforts.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We must not allow the border wall to destroy this critical habitat and the delicate ecosystem it supports.”

— Marianna Treviño-Wright, Executive Director, National Butterfly Center

“I will fight tooth and nail to get language in the next DHS funding bill to protect these areas from the border wall.”

— Rep. Henry Cuellar, U.S. Representative, Texas

What’s next

Representative Cuellar plans to introduce amendments to upcoming DHS funding legislation in an effort to exempt the National Butterfly Center and other protected areas from the new border wall construction.

The takeaway

This latest development in the long-running border wall debate highlights the ongoing tensions between border security and environmental conservation. As the administration pushes forward with more wall construction, local communities and their representatives are fighting to protect sensitive ecosystems that could be irreparably damaged.