A federal judge on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, issued a preliminary injunction barring the Trump administration from constructing a border barrier through Big Bend National Park in Texas. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone ruled that the project could not proceed unless the government complies with environmental laws. The decision follows a lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, the group Friends of the Ruidosa Church, and a local landowner and river guide.
The ruling comes nearly seven weeks after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Rodney Scott paused the project on Aug. 17, 2026. The administration had planned to install roads, surveillance technology, and vehicle barriers in the park, rather than the 30-foot-high steel walls constructed in other sectors. Crews originally began clearing land for the project in August 2026, leading to legal challenges and public protests.
The plaintiffs argued that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and the Trump administration improperly used a waiver of environmental statutes to fast-track construction. Judge Cardone stated that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on some of their legal claims and would face irreparable harm without the court's intervention. U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has suggested that the park's rugged terrain already serves as a natural deterrent.
This ruling affects the Big Bend Sector, located approximately 250 miles southeast of El Paso, Texas. The injunction halts all ground-disturbing activities across the park. By requiring compliance with environmental laws, the court halts the Department of Homeland Security's attempt to waive oversight mechanisms while the litigation continues. The government must now decide whether to appeal the injunction or begin the process of environmental impact assessments. No specific date for the next court hearing was reported.