A federal judge in Texas on Friday ordered a temporary halt to Big Bend border wall construction and related infrastructure, a win for landowners, businesses and environmental groups opposing the project tied to a key campaign pledge by President Donald Trump.
The ruling pauses plans that are part of a $46 billion push to add 30-foot steel barriers, vehicle obstacles, roads and surveillance systems along the southern boundary, according to court filings. The order covers Big Bend National Park on the Rio Grande and extends throughout the approximately 500-mile Big Bend sector, which represents about one quarter of the roughly 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border.
In granting the injunction, U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone found the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on at least one claim, face a risk of serious and irreparable harm without court action, and that the balance of equities and public interest favor an injunction.
Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately comment.
Opponents argue the region’s remoteness and rugged terrain already deter illegal crossings and say the administration unlawfully used sweeping waivers to bypass environmental, cultural and archaeological safeguards to speed construction. The lawsuit, brought by an environmental organization, advocates for a historic church in Ruidosa and a river guide, contends DHS wrongly set aside protections critical to areas like Big Bend.
Laiken Jordahl of the Center for Biological Diversity, which is among the plaintiffs, called the decision a “total victory,” saying bulldozers will be sidelined while the court considers the case on its merits.
The order follows installation of the first wall panels in the Big Bend sector in mid-September. The project has drawn bipartisan criticism, especially over activity inside Big Bend National Park, cherished for its dramatic landscapes, limestone cliffs and dark-sky vistas.
Bulldozers seen clearing land in the park in August prompted widespread pushback from Republicans and Democrats. CBP paused work there, but that pause expired September 30. Officials have said they are reevaluating plans for the park, without announcing next steps.
Park advocates welcomed the ruling and urged the administration to repair damage already done, engage with local residents and pursue alternatives. “Big Bend is no place for border barriers. It’s time for the administration to come to the table with the border communities that know Big Bend best, repair the damage from this ill-conceived project, and find new solutions,” said Tiernan Sittenfeld, president and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association, in a statement.
Scope of Big Bend border wall injunction
The judge’s order applies to areas up and downriver from the park, where CBP has proposed a range of projects, much of which would cross private property. In those stretches, the government has been seeking permission from landowners to survey and build, and said in a recent filing it was prepared to refer some cases to the Justice Department when permissions could not be obtained.
The project tied to a key campaign pledge by President Donald Trump continues to face legal and political scrutiny.
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