After helping defeat the Biden administration’s proposed expansion of the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge, American Stewards of Liberty is backing legislation by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) to make sure the plan can never return. The proposed No FED in West Texas Act would prohibit future administrations from reviving the land protection plan or any substantially similar proposal, turning what supporters see as a major property-rights victory into permanent law.
No Fed in West Texas Act aims to make Muleshoe reversal permanent
When the Trump administration withdrew plans last year to dramatically expand the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge, many might have considered the long-fought contest finally over.
But not American Stewards of Liberty (ASL) and those who opposed one of the most sweeping proposed federal land grabs in Texas history. They knew it was only half-time.
Now the second half is underway, with both U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) having introduced legislation to ensure that the proposal never returns. Cruz introduced his bill in late April, while Arrington’s bill was filed last year and previously advanced through the House Natural Resources Committee.
The proposed No Federal Expansion Designation in West Texas Act, or No FED in West Texas Act, would prohibit the Department of the Interior from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing the land protection plan developed during the Biden administration for the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge or any “substantially similar” proposal.
That plan specifically authorized the agency to purchase private land or acquire conservation easements from willing sellers on up to 700,000 acres in Texas and New Mexico as part of an effort to expand the conservation footprint of the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge.
For ASL, the legislation represents an effort to take a half-time lead and salt it away in the win column for good.
“Senator Cruz is doing exactly what Texans need their elected leaders to do: make sure this federal land grab never comes back,” American Stewards of Liberty executive director Margaret Byfield said. “The Muleshoe expansion plan was a sweeping attempt to put hundreds of thousands of acres under federal influence in a part of Texas where land, livelihoods, and local stewardship are inseparable.”
Byfield said Cruz’s bill would provide lasting protection for West Texas landowners, farmers, ranchers, and rural communities by making clear that Washington cannot revive such overreach with the stroke of a pen. She also lauded Cruz and Arrington for their leadership and relentless work but acknowledged that the fight depends on landowners and citizens at the local level.
“This has been a sustained fight by local leaders, lawmakers, and grassroots Texans who understood from the beginning what was at stake,” she said. “Congress now has the opportunity to put this issue to rest for good and ensure the people closest to the land remain the ones with the strongest voice over its future.”
In announcing his legislation, Cruz said the measure was a defense of both local control and economic development.
“West Texas is vital to economic growth and energy for Texans, and decisions about its land should belong to Texans, not Washington bureaucrats,” Cruz said. “This bill will protect our communities from federal overreach, prevent land grabs that threaten jobs, and limit energy and agricultural development. I’m proud to join Rep. Arrington in advancing it.”
Arrington has been one of the most visible congressional opponents of the refuge expansion since it was first proposed. He characterized the plan as part of the Biden administration’s broader conservation agenda and said the refuge expansion would have increased its footprint by about 10,000 percent. Besides introducing the No FED legislation, he secured House passage of an amendment to defund the plan, sought appropriations language opposing the expansion, and repeatedly challenged Fish and Wildlife Service officials over the proposal.
He also pointed out in 2024 that, while the Protection Plan and Environmental Assessment claimed that the proposed action would have a negligible effect on future oil and gas development, it made no such claim about farming and ranching in the area.
“I applaud the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw the Biden Administration’s unnecessary and overreaching expansion of federal lands,” Arrington said. “I’m proud to have led the fight to defend our tax dollars, private property rights, and way of life by advancing legislation to prohibit and defund this federal land grab.”
Byfield: Campaign showed grassroots power
American Stewards of Liberty has portrayed the withdrawal of the Muleshoe proposal as one of its most significant victories against federal encroachment on private property rights.
When the Trump administration rescinded the plan, Byfield called attention to the larger purpose of the land grab—the implementation of the Biden administration’s 30×30 land plan, a global UN-backed goal adopted by the Biden administration to effectively protect and conserve 30 percent of the world’s terrestrial, inland water, and coastal areas by the year 2030.
“The Muleshoe Land Grab was a stealth attempt to create the first federal government stronghold in Texas,” she said. “We are thankful to President Trump and Interior secretary [Doug] Burgum for rescinding this plan and rolling back another key component of the 30×30 agenda. We are also thankful to Representative Arrington for his swift actions to ensure this plan was stopped. He has boldly protected the property rights of his constituents and stood squarely between Texans and the federal government.”
For the past year, Texans and patriots from across the nation resisted tyrannical efforts to rob the people of private property, Byfield said.
