Judge halts border wall work near Big Bend National Park
A federal judge in El Paso has blocked border barrier construction near Big Bend National Park in West Texas. Landowners and an environmental group sued, saying the work would harm a remote, wild stretch of the Rio Grande. Opponents call it the first time border wall building has been stopped by a court.
A federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked border barrier construction near Big Bend National Park, a remote stretch of desert and canyons along the Rio Grande.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone in El Paso issued a preliminary injunction on Friday. It halts "ground-disturbing activities" while the lawsuit moves forward, The Texas Tribune reports.
The suit was filed in April by Friends of the Ruidosa Church, the Center for Biological Diversity and a local landowner, Danny "Billy" Miller. They argued the government rushed the project without proper review and that it would scar land, water and wildlife along a wild stretch of the border.
Opponents cheered. Opponents called it the "first time border wall construction has been stopped," KRWG reports. Supporters of the park pointed to low crossing numbers there. Bob Krumenaker, a former park superintendent, said 133 apprehensions in the park made up just 0.030% of the total, KRWG reports. The Big Bend sector covers about a quarter of the U.S.-Mexico border but sees 1% to 3% of apprehensions, the Tribune says.
The government did not call any witnesses at the hearing. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott defended the work in a statement.
The wall push is big. The government has signed more than $7.5 billion in border barrier contracts, the Tribune reports, including five projects in the Big Bend area. Homeland Security has waived environmental laws, such as the Endangered Species Act, to speed building. At least six lawsuits challenge the work, and another federal judge denied a request to halt a different project on Thursday.
What we know: Construction near Big Bend is on hold for now.
What we don't: Whether the government appeals, and how long the order lasts.
Where outlets agree KRWG and The Texas Tribune, carried by KSAT, both report that Judge Kathleen Cardone blocked barrier construction near Big Bend while the lawsuit proceeds.
Where they differ CBP's commissioner defends the barrier work, while plaintiffs say Big Bend sees few crossings and the work would damage protected land.