Politics 4 min read By Arthur Ellington
US judge blocks Trump border wall in Texas Big Bend
A federal judge has temporarily halted the Trump administration's border wall and infrastructure projects across the Big Bend region of Texas, ruling that opponents are likely to succeed on the merits and would suffer irreparable harm without an injunction.
A federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from building a border wall and related infrastructure across the Big Bend region, handing a significant legal victory to landowners, businesses and environmentalists who have fought the project. Judge Kathleen Cardone ruled that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on at least one claim, that they faced a likelihood of serious, irreparable harm without an injunction, and that the balance of equities and the public interest weighed in their favour.
The decision covers Big Bend National Park and extends to areas upriver and downriver, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection has planned a range of projects that would largely require building across privately owned land. The projects form part of a $46 billion administration effort to line the southern border with 30-foot steel walls, vehicle barriers, roads and surveillance technology.
Opponents have argued that the 500-mile-long Big Bend region is so remote and its landscape so rugged that it acts as its own deterrent to illegal immigration. They also contend that the administration violated the law by issuing a swath of waivers to bypass environmental, cultural and archaeological protections in order to speed up construction. The lawsuit was brought by an environmental organisation, advocates for a historic church in Ruidosa and a river guide.
Laiken Jordahl of the Center for Biological Diversity, which filed the suit, called the ruling a total victory. «The bulldozers are going to be sent packing until she rules on the merits,» Jordahl said, describing the decision as historic for Big Bend, Texas and the Constitution.
Customs and Border Protection said it stood by its assessment and remained confident in its legal authorities to secure the border while preserving the unique landscape of the Big Bend region. The agency said it was working with the Department of Justice on next steps. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The ruling follows weeks of escalating tension. The administration erected the first border wall panels in the Big Bend sector in mid-September. In August, bulldozers were spotted clearing land inside Big Bend National Park, prompting widespread opposition from both Republicans and Democrats. CBP paused all activity there, but that pause expired earlier this week. The administration has said it is reevaluating plans for the national park but has not yet said what it will do.
The project has sparked bipartisan opposition, much of it focused on the park, which is prized for its limestone cliffs, dramatic landscapes and crystal-clear night skies. Advocates welcomed the judge's ruling but called on the administration to repair damage already done and develop alternative plans. «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 areas outside the park, the government has been seeking permission from local landowners to survey and build on their land. In a recent court filing, it said it was prepared to refer some cases to the Justice Department where it had been unable to secure permission. The temporary injunction halts construction while the case proceeds, leaving the administration's broader border infrastructure plans in the region facing further legal scrutiny.
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