Judge blocks Trump administration's plan to build border wall in Texas' Big Bend
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction halting the Trump administration's effort to construct a border wall through Texas' Big Bend region after lawsuits by landowners and conservation groups.
Federal Judge Kathleen Cardone granted a preliminary injunction that stops the Trump administration's plan to erect a border wall across the Big Bend area of Texas. The court concluded that the Center for Biological Diversity and several longtime residents demonstrated a significant threat of irreversible damage, and that DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin probably overstepped his authority by granting environmental waivers.
The administration had earmarked $7.5 billion for new security structures along a 500-mile segment of the U.S.-Mexico border that includes Big Bend National Park. Letters sent this summer warned landowners of possible eminent-domain actions, but no seizures have yet occurred. Opponents, such as archaeologist David Keller, contend the wall would scar one of the nation’s most pristine landscapes and disrupt local culture and river access. The ruling provides a temporary reprieve for property owners while broader legal battles continue.
Why it matters
The injunction pauses a costly federal project that threatens protected land and private property in a sensitive border region.
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