Federal Judge Halts Border Wall Construction in Big Bend
Judge Kathleen Cardone issued an injunction blocking the Trump administration from building border barriers in the Big Bend region and Big Bend National Park.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone issued a preliminary injunction on October 2, 2026, halting the construction of a border wall and related infrastructure across the Big Bend sector in Texas. The ruling blocks the Trump administration from using self-granted waivers to bypass environmental, cultural, and archaeological laws to accelerate a $46 billion initiative involving 30-foot steel walls and surveillance technology.
The injunction follows a lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Friends of the Ruidosa Church, and local landowners. The plaintiffs argued that the Department of Homeland Security unconstitutionally exceeded congressional authority and that the region's rugged wilderness already serves as a natural deterrent to illegal crossings. Judge Cardone ruled that the plaintiffs demonstrated a likelihood of suffering irreparable harm to wildlife and native vegetation, noting that bulldozers had already cleared land near Santa Elena Canyon.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security defended the project, stating they remain confident in their legal authority to secure the border. The ruling comes after a period of volatility in the region, including a brief construction pause in August and the installation of the first wall panels in mid-September. Texas Governor Greg Abbott previously claimed that federal officials had informed him they would not build barriers in this specific portion of the border.
