Trump Border Project Faces Temporary Halt in Texas’ Big Bend

A federal judge in El Paso has temporarily halted border construction in the Big Bend region of West Texas after opponents challenged the Trump administration’s plans to expand border infrastructure in the area.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone issued a preliminary injunction blocking the federal government from building border barriers and related infrastructure or conducting ground-disturbing construction in the Big Bend Sector unless it complies with applicable laws.

Cardone wrote that the plaintiffs “are likely to succeed on the merits of at least one of the claims in suit” and that “there is a likelihood that they will suffer serious, irreparable harm without an injunction.”

The ruling affects the Big Bend Sector, which stretches roughly 500 miles along the Texas-Mexico border and includes Big Bend National Park. The area accounts for about one-quarter of the southern border.

The lawsuit was brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Ruidosa Church and Danny “Billy” Miller, a Big Bend-area river guide and landowner.

The plaintiffs argue that the Department of Homeland Security improperly used federal authority to waive numerous environmental and other legal requirements in order to accelerate construction.

DHS had determined that the Big Bend Sector was an area of high illegal entry and invoked its waiver authority to bypass laws governing environmental and cultural protections. The federal government said the waivers were necessary to expedite construction of additional barriers and roads to prevent illegal entry.

The federal government’s plans in the region differ from the 30-foot steel barriers being constructed in other portions of the southern border. Customs and Border Protection has said the Big Bend plans include vehicle barriers, roads and surveillance equipment, including cameras and sensors.

Construction in Big Bend National Park had already become a point of contention. Crews began clearing land in August, prompting protests and criticism from conservation groups and others concerned about the effect on the park’s landscape and wildlife. 

CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott later paused work in the area as he said he wanted to personally assess the project and meet with stakeholders.

The Trump administration has defended the need for additional border infrastructure in the sector.

In a June Federal Register notice, DHS said Border Patrol recorded more than 89,000 apprehensions of people attempting to illegally enter the country between fiscal years 2021 and 2025 in the Big Bend Sector. The agency also reported seizures of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl during that period.

The Department of Homeland Security has maintained that it has the legal authority to carry out the construction.

“We stand by our assessment and remain confident in our legal authorities to secure the border while preserving the unique landscape of the Big Bend region,” a CBP spokesperson said following the ruling. 

The agency said it was working with the Department of Justice to determine its next steps.

The preliminary injunction does not resolve the underlying lawsuit. Instead, it keeps construction on hold while the legal challenge moves forward.

For now, federal contractors are barred from proceeding with the covered border construction and ground-disturbing activities in the Big Bend Sector.