Supreme Court Allows Trump Border Wall Construction in Texas

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled on Monday that the Trump administration may resume construction of a border wall and security infrastructure in the Big Bend region of southwest Texas. The unsigned decision lifted an October injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone, who had previously blocked the project on the grounds that the Department of Homeland Security exceeded its authority by bypassing environmental and conservation laws.

The court determined that the government possesses compelling interests in border security and that federal law allows the homeland security secretary to waive specific laws to ensure construction is expeditious. The project covers a stretch of the border estimated between 300 and 500 miles. In Big Bend National Park, the administration plans to install vehicle barriers and patrol roads instead of 30-foot pedestrian walls.

The administration justifies the project by citing 89,000 detentions in the region in recent years. However, challengers including the Center for Biological Diversity and local landowners argue the area actually has the lowest apprehension rates along the border. Solicitor General D. John Sauer had previously argued that the lower court's block on the project was baseless.