Trump Suffers Legal Setback As Texas Border Wall Blocked In National Park - Newsweek

The Trump administration suffered a blow on Friday when a federal court ordered a temporary halt to the construction of the president’s border wall and associated infrastructure in the Big Bend region of Texas.

Judge Kathleen Cardone concluded the plaintiffs, a coalition of environmental groups and local landowners, were “likely to succeed on the merits of at least one of the claims in suit, that there is a likelihood that they will suffer serious, irreparable harm without an injunction, and that the balance of the equities and the public interest weigh in their favor.”

President Trump has made reducing illegal crossings of the southern border one of the main policy priorities of his presidency. With Republicans controlling both the Senate and House, the courts have become one of the main impediments of Trump administration policy over the past couple of years.

Speaking to Newsweek, a spokesperson for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said: "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. We are working with the Department of Justice on next steps."

Newsweek contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment on Saturday via email outside of regular office hours.

The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas issued a preliminary injunction stating federal agencies “SHALL NOT build border barrier or related infrastructure, or engage in any construction or ground disturbing activities, in the Big Bend Sector until and unless Defendants comply with all applicable laws.”

While the court didn’t rule on the legal case for border wall construction in the Big Bend sector itself it did conclude those who brought the case “are likely to succeed on the merits of at least one of the claims” in their legal filing.

The ruling covers the entire Big Bend sector, which at around 500 miles long makes up around a quarter of the entire U.S.-Mexican border.

This includes the Big Bend National Park, which has 118 miles of border with Mexico according to the National Park Service.

Trump’s 2025 ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ earmarked $46.5 billion for the construction of fencing and other obstacles to deter illegal immigration across the 1,954-mile-long southern border.

Planned barriers include hundreds of miles of 30-foot border wall along with surveillance systems and river barriers. This will require building on private as well as federally owned land, where initial construction of the border wall was concentrated.

In August, bulldozers were seen at the Big Bend National Park clearing land ahead of construction, sparking cross-party anger. In response, Customs and Border Protection halted the work, but this pause ended on September 30. The Trump administration has said it will reexamine plans for the national park in light of the controversy.

Tiernan Sittenfeld, President of the National Parks Conservation Association, welcomed Friday’s ruling.

In a statement she said: “Today’s court ruling halting the destruction is a victory for Big Bend and for all of America’s national parks. While national park advocates are grateful for this halt to border construction in Big Bend, the devastating toll it has already taken on this national park must be studied and remediated.

“Big Bend is no place for border barriers. It’s time for the administration to come to the table with the border communities that know Big Bend best, repair the damage from this ill-conceived project, and find new solutions.”

Speaking to ABC News Laiken Jordahl, who works for the Center for Biological Diversity, described the ruling as a “total victory.”

Jordahl said: “The bulldozers are going to be sent packing until she rules on the merits. This is such a historic day for Big Bend and for Texas and the Constitution.”

Under the second Trump administration illegal crossings of the U.S.-Mexico border dropped dramatically, falling to a 55-year low according to Department of Homeland Security data.

However, some of the tactics used to achieve this, such as aggressive raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, have proven controversial. In 2026 a small number of suspected illegal immigrants and activists have been shot, and in some cases killed, in altercations with ICE agents.

This story was updated at 11:10 a.m. ET on Saturday with comment from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Contact Newsweek editor on this story: Edward Pearcey.