Federal court temporarily blocks Trump administration border wall in Texas’ Big Bend region

A federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from building additional border wall and related infrastructure across the Big Bend region. Judge Kathleen Cardone found that the landowners, businesses and environmental groups challenging the project are likely to succeed on at least one of their legal claims and could suffer irreparable harm if construction continues. The injunction covers not only Big Bend National Park but also areas upriver and downriver where construction could cross privately owned land. The Big Bend work is part of a broader $46 billion border-security initiative involving 30-foot steel barriers, vehicle barriers, roads and surveillance systems. Opponents argue that Big Bend’s remote, rugged terrain already discourages illegal crossings and that the administration improperly used waivers to bypass environmental and other regulations. The dispute has drawn bipartisan opposition, particularly over potential construction inside Big Bend National Park. After bulldozers were seen clearing land there in August, Customs and Border Protection temporarily halted work, though that pause expired September 30. The administration has said it is reconsidering its plans for the park. The ruling is temporary: construction is blocked while the court continues considering the underlying legal case.