Dana Taylor

In the run-up to the 2016 presidential election, perhaps nothing divided Republicans and Democrats more than the idea of a border wall stretching along America's southern border with Mexico.

More than a decade on, those sentiments have now shifted sharply during the second presidency of Donald Trump.

That was Starlight Theater restaurant owner Bill Ivey, a three-time Trump voter and Texan through and through.

It turns out that nimbyism runs deep in the Big Bend region of Texas, a place where the majestic Rio Grande swirls its way through jagged canyons.

For many here, Republicans and Democrats alike, the idea of a Big Bend border wall is now being met with a resounding, not in my backyard.

Hello and welcome to USA Today's The Excerpt.

I'm Dana Taylor.

Today is Friday, April 3rd, 2026.

USA Today national news reporter Lauren Villagran traveled to Big Bend, Texas, to listen to the concerns of those who feel threatened by the president's plan to spend billions on a border wall in the region.

So good to have you back on The Excerpt, Lauren.

Thanks, Dana.

Lauren, as I mentioned, you were just there speaking with people in the area.

What's the mood in Big Bend right now?

Opposition to the construction of the wall has turned into a mission for people like wedding photographer Anna Claire Beasley.

Let's listen to some of what she shared with you regarding her concerns about the wall.

Lauren, how did this bipartisan drumbeat of opposition to a border wall in the Big Bend region begin?

Before her departure, former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem launched an official color-coded smart wall.

What is that and how is it being used?

Where does Border Patrol stand on this issue?

Do they see a need for a 30-foot border wall in the Big Bend region?