US Federal House Bill HB5279

US Federal 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 9/10/25
• Refer: 9/10/25

Caption

THE DON-ument Act

Summary

HB5279, titled the “THE DON-ument Act,” would create a new federal national monument called the Southern Border Wall National Monument. The monument would cover portions of the southern border wall and related lands and interests in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, totaling approximately 289,920 acres. The stated purpose is to protect the southern border wall from alteration. The bill assigns administration of the monument to the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Land Management. It also directs the Secretary to establish administrative jurisdiction over portions of the wall within the monument through memoranda of understanding with relevant federal agencies and affected Indian Tribes. In addition, the bill requires a general management plan for the monument to be completed within three years after funding becomes available and submitted to the House and Senate natural resources committees.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would add a new federal land designation and management regime over a large area along the U.S.-Mexico border, affecting federal lands and any tribal lands or interests included within the monument boundary. It would place the southern border wall and associated lands under monument protection, potentially limiting alteration or redevelopment and requiring coordination among the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Land Management, other federal landholding agencies, and Indian Tribes. The bill would also create a new planning obligation for the Interior Department and could affect existing land management, border infrastructure, and federal agency jurisdiction in the covered states.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be introduced in support of border wall preservation and is framed in strongly favorable terms by its sponsors. There is no recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials, so broader legislative sentiment cannot be measured from discussion or roll call data. The introduction by Representatives Mills and Moore of Alabama suggests support among the sponsors for elevating the border wall to a protected federal monument status.

Contention

The main points of contention likely concern the use of national monument authority to protect border wall infrastructure, the scope of federal land designation across four border states, and the potential effects on land management, environmental review, and tribal jurisdiction. Opponents could object to converting border infrastructure into a monument, while supporters would likely argue that the wall should be shielded from alteration. The bill also raises coordination issues with Indian Tribes and other federal agencies because it contemplates administrative jurisdiction over lands where portions of the wall are located.