A federal judge has barred the Trump administration from building a border barrier through Big Bend National Park in Texas, halting construction while courts weigh an environmental lawsuit challenging the project.
Injunction halts all ground work
US District Judge Kathleen Cardone issued a preliminary injunction on Friday, October 2. It says the government "shall not build border barrier or related infrastructure, or engage in any construction of ground-disturbing activities, in the Big Bend Sector" unless it complies with environmental laws, Reuters reported.
The ruling came nearly seven weeks after US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott had himself paused construction amid bipartisan criticism over the project's impact on the park's landscape and wildlife. Scott said he wanted to visit the area, do a personal evaluation and speak with interested parties — and the injunction now effectively prevents him from changing his mind.
What was planned
Customs and Border Protection had said it planned to build roads, surveillance technology and vehicle barriers inside the national park, rather than the 30-foot-high (9-metre-high) walls used in other border areas. Crews started clearing land in the park in August, prompting protests and lawsuits seeking to halt the work.
The lawsuit
The suit was brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, a group called Friends of the Ruidosa Church, and a Big Bend-area river guide and landowner. Cardone ruled the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on at least some of their claims once the case is fully considered, and would face serious, irreparable harm without an injunction. They argued the administration, including Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, had improperly granted a sweeping waiver of environmental statutes to fast-track the Big Bend plan.
President Donald Trump has long promoted building or reinforcing barriers along the southern US border to deter illegal immigration.
Sources: Reuters: Judge bars building of Texas-Mexico border barrier in Big Bend National Park | Telegraph India: US judge bars border barrier in Texas' Big Bend
Injunction halts all ground work
US District Judge Kathleen Cardone issued a preliminary injunction on Friday, October 2. It says the government "shall not build border barrier or related infrastructure, or engage in any construction of ground-disturbing activities, in the Big Bend Sector" unless it complies with environmental laws, Reuters reported.
The ruling came nearly seven weeks after US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott had himself paused construction amid bipartisan criticism over the project's impact on the park's landscape and wildlife. Scott said he wanted to visit the area, do a personal evaluation and speak with interested parties — and the injunction now effectively prevents him from changing his mind.
What was planned
Customs and Border Protection had said it planned to build roads, surveillance technology and vehicle barriers inside the national park, rather than the 30-foot-high (9-metre-high) walls used in other border areas. Crews started clearing land in the park in August, prompting protests and lawsuits seeking to halt the work.
The lawsuit
The suit was brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, a group called Friends of the Ruidosa Church, and a Big Bend-area river guide and landowner. Cardone ruled the plaintiffs were likely to prevail on at least some of their claims once the case is fully considered, and would face serious, irreparable harm without an injunction. They argued the administration, including Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, had improperly granted a sweeping waiver of environmental statutes to fast-track the Big Bend plan.
President Donald Trump has long promoted building or reinforcing barriers along the southern US border to deter illegal immigration.
Sources: Reuters: Judge bars building of Texas-Mexico border barrier in Big Bend National Park | Telegraph India: US judge bars border barrier in Texas' Big Bend
