Texas landowners file lawsuit to block border wall construction in Big Bend region
A coalition of about 230 Texas landowners has sued the federal government, alleging that the Biden administration misused its authority to build a border wall on privately owned, ecologically sensitive land in the Big Bend area.
A group of private landowners in western and southwestern Texas filed a federal lawsuit on Monday seeking to halt the construction of border walls, barriers and access roads on their properties. The suit was brought by Conserve Big Bend, a coalition representing roughly 230 landowners, and lists six individual plaintiffs. The complaint argues that the administration incorrectly designated the Texas border segment as a “high illegal entry” zone to invoke extraordinary powers for wall construction in a remote and ecologically significant stretch of the United States.
According to the filing, the Big Bend sector accounted for only about 1.2% of border apprehensions over the past five years, the lowest share among the nine southwest sectors. The plaintiffs contend that 65% of the 609-mile project in the sector would cross private land, and that they have received written notices from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) indicating that their property may be needed for the wall.
At a news conference outside the Presidio County Courthouse in Marfa, landowners expressed concern that the construction would disrupt long-standing family holdings and local agriculture. Laura Allen, a rancher and former county judge, said the project would place “working facilities” behind walls and cut off a subdivision of about 100 retirement homes on her family’s land near Lake Amistad and the Rio Grande. David Keller, a regional archaeologist and board member of Conserve Big Bend, warned that the wall could restrict his access to the Rio Grande and affect irrigation on his 10-acre farm.
CBP has paused construction and survey work in Big Bend National Park pending an on-the-ground evaluation by its head, Rodney Scott, but the pause is set to expire on September 30. The Department of Homeland Security has not provided comment on the lawsuit.
The lawsuit seeks to block the wall and related infrastructure, arguing that the project threatens private property rights and the environmental integrity of the region.