A Texas Democratic lawmaker filed legislation Monday that would prevent Texas government agencies and local governments from making agreements to install border walls or other qualifying physical barriers on state park property.
The proposal contrasts with President Donald Trump’s policy of expanding border infrastructure and cooperating with states on enforcement.
State Rep. Eddie Morales Jr. (D-District 74) filed HB 111 on November 9, the first day of prefiling for the 90th Texas Legislature. The proposal would restrict certain state and local agreements; it would not itself authorize illegal entry, end federal enforcement, or prohibit all federal border construction.
What HB 111 Would Prohibit
The bill would bar a Texas governmental entity from entering into a lease or other agreement for installing or constructing border-security infrastructure on state park property. Its definition covers walls, fences, and other physical barriers designed or adapted to impede movement across the Texas-Mexico border.
HB 111 does not expressly prohibit cameras, sensors, patrols, or stand-alone federal projects that require no agreement with a Texas governmental entity. It does not direct officials to remove existing barriers. If the Legislature approves the measure with a two-thirds vote in each chamber, it would take effect immediately; otherwise, the effective date would be September 1, 2027.
Morales represents a district that includes Eagle Pass and extends along much of the Texas-Mexico border, according to his official House biography.
Trump And Biden Pursued Different Border-Wall Policies
President Trump’s January 20, 2025, executive order directed federal officials to pursue temporary and permanent physical barriers and other border-security measures. HB 111 would limit one possible way for Texas agencies to cooperate on barriers involving state parks, without changing federal law.
President Joe Biden directed a pause in border-wall construction and related funding commitments in January 2021. The Government Accountability Office documented the pause and its legal and administrative context. Fencing also expanded during earlier administrations, including President Barack Obama’s; the approaches were not identical.
North Texas Crimes Provide Public-Safety Context
Crimes involving illegal aliens have drawn attention to immigration enforcement in North Texas.
In Dallas, Cuban illegal alien Yordanis Cobos-Martinez faces a capital murder charge in the September 2025 killing of Chandra “Bob” Nagamallaiah at a motel. His trial was not expected to begin until 2027, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
At Grapevine Lake, 18-year-old Ava Moore died in May 2025 after a jet ski struck her. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton identified the suspected operator, Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez, as a Venezuelan illegal alien and said another illegal alien helped her flee.
In September 2025, Texas Department of Public Safety officers arrested Gregorio Denova-Cantu in Laredo. DPS identified him as a previously deported convicted murderer who had illegally reentered the United States and as a ranking gang member. The agency did not connect his reentry to a state park or a border-wall construction agreement.
A Separate Big Bend Border-Wall Fight
The legislation arrives during a separate dispute over construction in the Big Bend Border Patrol Sector. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction October 2 restricting barrier construction and related ground disturbance unless officials complied with applicable laws. In an October 14 written opinion, the court addressed the federal government’s use of waivers to bypass legal requirements.
The Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court on October 21 to stay the injunction. The docket showed no ruling on that request as of November 9. Federal officials have also stated in their Supreme Court application that they did not plan border-barrier construction inside Big Bend Ranch State Park.
The court case concerns federal construction authority and legal waivers. HB 111 instead addresses agreements entered into by Texas governmental entities for barriers on state park property.
What Remains Unclear
No identified construction project or fiscal estimate reviewed for this report shows that HB 111 would prevent a specific barrier from being built.
The proposal does not require a substitute security plan.
The 90th Legislature is scheduled to convene January 12, 2027. HB 111 must clear the legislative process before becoming law.
