Overview
- A federal judge has halted all ground‑disturbing border construction across the Big Bend sector and stayed the effect of emergency waivers while courts review the government’s legal authority.
- Contractors installed the first tall steel wall panels in the Big Bend in mid‑September, but the judge’s order now prevents further building or land‑disturbing activity in the sector.
- Plaintiffs — including landowners and conservation groups — argue the Department of Homeland Security improperly used waiver powers to skip reviews required by environmental law and historic‑preservation rules.
- Local residents and landowners have resisted through refusals to allow surveys, monitoring of equipment, public protests, notices barring contractors from businesses, and separate lawsuits.
- The dispute is now a legal test of executive waiver authority and land‑access powers for a $46 billion coast‑to‑coast barrier program, with the government seeking a stay while it appeals and more litigation expected.