Court Halts Construction in Big Bend
A federal judge has put a temporary stop to the Trump administration's plans to extend the border wall and related security structures through west Texas's Big Bend area. US District Judge Kathleen Cardone issued the ruling following a Friday hearing in El Paso, siding with plaintiffs who challenged multiple Department of Homeland Security waivers. Those waivers had set aside numerous environmental and historical protection statutes in order to speed up building. Cardone concluded the plaintiffs would likely prevail and suffer irreparable harm from continued construction. Her order prohibits Customs and Border Protection from building or disturbing ground unless it abides by the laws DHS had sought to waive.[S1]
The lawsuit was brought by the Friends of the Ruidosa Church, the Center for Biological Diversity, and river guide Billy Miller. Proposed new roads and six-foot vehicle barriers cutting through Big Bend National Park have attracted widespread national scrutiny since the administration pushed forward with border wall construction earlier this year. In August, photos of bulldozers tearing up ground for roads inside the park triggered public anger, leading CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott to pause construction temporarily. Work picked back up in September. The ruling marks a significant setback for the administration's rapid border wall expansion across west Texas, which had overridden objections from local business owners, landowners, public land advocates, and politicians of both parties.[S1]
Contracts, Funding, and Local Backlash
CBP has so far granted five Big Bend contracts worth over $6 billion combined to extend what it describes as the smart wall, combining thirty-foot steel bollard fencing, vehicle barriers, and surveillance equipment. In last year's spending bill, the Republican-controlled Congress set aside $46.5 billion for border wall construction. That enormous funding pool pushed CBP to concentrate much of its work on Big Bend, home to the longest stretch of the US-Mexico border without a wall. Landowners and local political figures have reacted angrily, noting that unauthorized crossings are already uncommon there because of the area's isolation, the absence of nearby Mexican cities, and steep cliffs that block passage along many parts of the border.[S1]
A CBP spokesperson stated by email that the agency maintains its position and is confident in its legal authority to protect the border while safeguarding the distinctive Big Bend landscape. The agency is coordinating with the Department of Justice on what to do next. Laiken Jordahl, a public land advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, described the ruling as a historic win for Big Bend and all who cherish that wild Texas corner. He said no administration may wreck a crown-jewel national park for political spectacle, but warned the struggle is not finished and they will keep fighting until Big Bend's environmental protections are fully restored and the unlawful waiver behind so much damage is permanently eliminated.[S1]
