Judge temporarily blocks Big Bend border wall construction

A federal judge in El Paso on Friday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from building border barriers and related infrastructure across Texas’ Big Bend Sector, including Big Bend National Park.

Why the fight: Landowners, businesses, and environmental groups say the remote desert and canyon country already limits illegal crossings, and they argue the waivers were unlawful. Cardone wrote that the plaintiffs were “likely to succeed on the merits of at least one of the claims,” and that they faced serious, irreparable harm without an injunction. Local opposition has cut across party lines, AP reported. The Big Bend Sector accounted for about 1.3% of southwest-border apprehensions in the last fiscal year, according to testimony and Customs and Border Protection data cited in Marfa Public Radio’s account.

Government response: Customs and Border Protection told Marfa Public Radio it is working with the Justice Department on next steps. “We stand by our assessment and remain confident in our legal authorities to secure the border while preserving the unique landscape of the Big Bend region,” a CBP spokesperson said. AP said CBP and the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to its separate request for comment.

Context: The work is part of a roughly $46 billion southern-border infrastructure push of walls, vehicle barriers, roads, and surveillance gear, AP reported. The administration put up the first wall panels in the Big Bend Sector in mid-September. Bulldozers in the national park in August drew bipartisan pushback. An earlier pause covering much of the region, including the park, expired Sept. 30, Marfa Public Radio reported. Officials have said they are reevaluating park plans.

Uncertainty: This is a temporary order, not a final ruling. An appeal is possible. How long the halt lasts, and whether work resumes outside the injunction’s geographic scope, will depend on further court and agency moves.

Primary: Associated Press via PBS NewsHour and NBC News, Oct 2, 2026 (evening ET) — Judge Kathleen Cardone temporary block across Big Bend Sector (~500 miles, about a quarter of the southern border), including Big Bend National Park; $46 billion broader wall/barriers/roads/surveillance program; plaintiffs “likely to succeed” quote; first panels mid-September; Aug park pause that expired Sept 30; bipartisan local opposition; AP noted CBP/DHS had no immediate comment to its query. Marfa Public Radio (Mary Cantrell), Oct 2, 2026 — El Paso bench order; injunction for sector within one mile of the Rio Grande and in state/national parks, until decision on the merits; waivers stayed; plaintiffs Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Ruidosa Church, river guide Billy Miller; CBP statement: working with DOJ on next steps and “We stand by our assessment and remain confident in our legal authorities to secure the border while preserving the unique landscape of the Big Bend region”; Big Bend Sector ~1.3% of southwest-border apprehensions last fiscal year (expert/CBP data cited in hearing). Center for Biological Diversity press release, Oct 2, 2026 — same injunction framing; plaintiff advocacy lean. Signed order PDF on CBD site dated Oct 2, 2026 confirms injunction and waiver stay. Fox News (Mullin / broader wall timeline) used only as background on administration wall goals, not as the injunction source. Draft does not assert a final merits ruling or predict appeal outcome. Re-checked 7:40 PM PT Oct 2: river-guide plaintiff's name differs by outlet (Billy vs. Danny Miller Jr.), so name dropped; Sept. 30 pause wording corrected to match Marfa (earlier pause, not a CBP-only pause); added scope detail and Inside Climate News. Temporary-order framing kept. No right-leaning coverage found.