Mount Cristo Rey — Construction activity tied to a new segment of the U.S.-Mexico border wall is intensifying in southern New Mexico, where contractors are using explosives to carve into the side of a culturally and environmentally significant mountain.
The project, led by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, involves building a 1.3-mile barrier across Mount Cristo Rey, a landmark that overlooks El Paso, Sunland Park and Ciudad Juárez. The work is part of a broader $95 million contract awarded to SLSCO to close gaps along the border in the El Paso region.
Blasting operations began in March, just days after visitors, including hikers and pilgrims, traversed the mountain’s well-known trail. The site is especially significant during annual Good Friday observances, when thousands ascend to the summit.
Local residents and stakeholders say the construction has dramatically altered the landscape. Robert Ardovino, a Sunland Park business owner, criticized the approach, saying, “Electronics would have made more sense than destroying a whole mountain. But they’re doing what they’re doing.”
He added, “There is no accountability,” and warned that “the damage will be irreparable.”
Federal officials maintain that proper oversight is in place. “CBP has environmental monitors present during these activities to ensure construction best management practices are being followed and implemented by the construction contractor,” an agency spokesperson said.
The project has drawn opposition from environmental advocates and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces, which owns much of the mountain. In formal comments, the diocese described the site as a place “where faith transcends borders.”
“A grant of entry onto land [the diocese] owns for CBP purposes, whether temporary or permanent, would deter those pilgrims and migrants from exercising their religion as they have done for almost one hundred years,” wrote general counsel Kathryn Brack Morrow. “A place of hope, faith and communion would become a place of fear, exclusion and division.”
The Department of Homeland Security expedited the project in 2025 by waiving multiple environmental and historic preservation laws under authority granted by the REAL ID Act of 2005. The waiver allowed construction to proceed without a full environmental impact statement, raising concerns among conservation groups.
Environmental advocates argue the wall could disrupt wildlife corridors in the Chihuahuan Desert. Myles Traphagen of the Wildlands Network said the project undermines binational conservation efforts, particularly for species such as the Mexican gray wolf.
“The border wall is quite disrespectful to a lot of work that’s been undertaken by numerous government agencies,” he said.
Geologists also point to the mountain’s scientific value. Eric Kappus, who discovered dinosaur footprints at the site, described it as a unique educational resource.
“I could teach 75 to 80% of an introductory geology class in the field at Mount Cristo Rey,” he said. “It’s like a giant chalkboard.”
Despite concerns, CBP maintains that environmental impacts will be minimal. The agency stated that surveys found no federally listed endangered species in the immediate project area and assessed wildlife habitat suitability as “low to moderate.”
The construction site sits within the Roosevelt Reservation, a 60-foot-wide strip of federal land along the border. Portions of the surrounding area have also been designated a National Defense Area, restricting public access.
As construction continues, tensions remain high among federal agencies, local communities and environmental groups. For contractors and project owners, the project highlights the complexities of building infrastructure in environmentally sensitive and culturally significant locations, where regulatory waivers, public opposition and logistical challenges intersect.
This article was originally reported by Martha Pskowski for High Country News. Read the original story here: https://www.hcn.org/articles/borderlands-border-wall-blasting-hits-a-treasured-new-mexico-mountain/
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