Federal judge blocks border wall expansion in Texas' Big Bend

A U.S. district judge in El Paso issued a temporary injunction on Friday that stops the Department of Homeland Security from proceeding with border wall construction and related infrastructure in the Big Bend region of west Texas. The ruling blocks several waivers that had suspended environmental and historic preservation laws, and it bars Customs and Border Protection from any ground disturbance unless those laws are followed.

The injunction follows a lawsuit filed by the Friends of the Ruidosa church, the Center for Biological Diversity and river guide Billy Miller, who argued that the waivers were unlawful and that continued construction would cause irreparable damage. Judge Kathleen Cardone said the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits and that the potential harm justified immediate relief.

"This is a historic victory for Big Bend and everyone who loves this wild corner of Texas," said Laiken Jordahl of the Center for Biological Diversity. "No administration has the right to destroy a crown-jewel national park for political theatre."

Customs and Border Protection, which has awarded more than $6 billion in contracts for the so-called “smart wall” in the area, responded that it remains confident in its legal authority and will work with the Justice Department on next steps.

Congress allocated $46.5 billion for border wall projects in the recent spending bill, prompting CBP to focus on the Big Bend stretch, the longest unwalled segment of the U.S.–Mexico border. Local landowners and officials have argued that the remote terrain already limits illegal crossings, questioning the need for extensive new barriers.