Border wall construction resumes after Supreme Court clears Trump project in Big Bend, Texas

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to restart border wall work in Texas’s Big Bend region. The decision lifted a lower court pause while the legal case continues. Opponents said the ruling could let construction begin before judges decide if it is lawful. The project backed President Donald Trump’s goal of a barrier across the border.

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Landowners, business owners and environmental groups in Big Bend said the plan would harm a rare landscape. They argued the barriers would damage the local economy and daily life. Critics also said migrant crossings in the area were historically low. Several groups sued to stop the work, including the Center for Biological Diversity.

Supreme Court border wall decision affects Big Bend

The Supreme Court said the law strongly restricts judges from blocking fast border barrier work. The majority order paused a Texas judge’s decision that had halted activity in the region. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented. The lower court judge had questioned whether Congress clearly approved wide waivers for this area.

CBP did not immediately answer questions about how quickly work could resume. Customs and Border Protection had begun an early section in one part of the region. That work stopped after the judge ordered an immediate halt. The Big Bend region covers about 500 miles along the border.

CBP border wall plans include waivers and construction pace

Republicans in Congress last summer funded the wider effort with USD 46 billion. CBP has been putting up about 12 miles of barriers a week along the border. The aim was to cover the 2,000-mile border with 30-foot steel walls, vehicle barriers, and surveillance tools. The government used broad waivers to bypass regulations.

Those waived rules were meant to protect the environment, but they often slow large building work. Opponents said Big Bend could rely more on surveillance like drones. They called the wall a poor use of money. Some also said the mix of barriers and new roads would change the region’s character.

Big Bend border wall opposition spans both parties

The Trump administration filed an emergency appeal and said Big Bend still sees illegal crossings and drug seizures. Federal lawyers argued that a gap could push more traffic into the area. Customs and Border Protection head Rodney Scott told The Associated Press that cartels would exploit any weak point. Scott said the area could be overwhelmed.

In the Big Bend region, landowners have resisted survey and entry requests linked to wall work. The Center for Biological Diversity sued alongside Friends of the Ruidosa Church and a river guide. Laiken Jordahl said, "This horrific decision clears the way for contractors to bulldoze pristine desert and dynamite canyon walls before the courts have even decided whether this destruction is legal.\"

Jordahl added, \"Theyre signing off on the permanent destruction of the wildest place in Texas, and the theft of a great American river from all of us.\" Jordahl also said it was the first time the government waived a broad set of environmental laws inside a national park. The planned work included 30-foot walls in some places, plus vehicle barriers.

Big Bend National Park border wall work drew outrage

In August, the government paused activity in Big Bend National Park after bulldozers were seen breaking ground. The government has said steel walls were not planned inside the park. Early plans included a new road and some vehicle barriers. CBP said it would submit a final plan for the park, but had not done so.

David Keller, a Conserve Big Bend board member, joined a separate landowner lawsuit. Keller called the ruling devastating and said, \"Everything is on the line again.\" Keller also said, \"We cant afford to lose any more. Not an ounce. Not an acre,\" while warning about industrial development in the area.

The project drew criticism from Democrats and Republicans, including outgoing Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas. Cornyn published an op-ed on Monday in the San Antonio Express-News. Cornyn wrote, \"A combination of modern technology, adequate staffing, and meaningful cooperation with local officials and landowners offers a more sensible and effective path forward than indiscriminate construction of unnecessary barriers.\"

With the Supreme Court order in place, the pause on Big Bend border wall construction was lifted as the case continues. Opponents remained concerned about damage to private land, river areas and Big Bend National Park. Supporters said the region needed barriers to prevent crossings and smuggling. CBP had not said when crews would return.

With inputs from PTI