Marfa, Texas

Six landowners and the nonprofit Conserve Big Bend, representing roughly 230 additional landowners across five counties, have sued the Department of Homeland Security, CBP, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott in Washington, D.C. federal court to block border wall construction in the Big Bend region of Texas. The suit is part of a broader $46 billion effort to build 30-foot steel bollard walls, vehicle barriers and surveillance infrastructure along the southern border, and seeks an injunction covering the entire region, including barriers inside Big Bend National Park.

Plaintiffs argue DHS unlawfully issued waivers designating Big Bend an area of "high illegal entry," despite the sector accounting for under 1.5% of southwest border apprehensions over five years, and claim landowners' Fifth Amendment due process rights are being violated. Opposition has grown since February, when eminent domain letters went out, drawing bipartisan pushback from sheriffs, officials, tour operators and ranchers who warn the wall would cut off Rio Grande water access, harm tourism, wildlife and sacred sites. Over $7 billion has already been awarded for Big Bend Sector wall contracts.

Landowners, ranchers, and the nonprofit Conserve Big Bend have filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the Trump administration's plans to build border wall and related infrastructure through the Big Bend region of Texas. The suit, backed by dozens of area residents, challenges a $46 billion federal effort to fortify roughly 2,000 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border with steel bollard walls, vehicle barriers, and surveillance technology.

Plaintiffs argue the Department of Homeland Security is misusing its waiver authority, which is meant for areas of "high illegal entry." They cite CBP data showing Big Bend's roughly 500 miles of border account for only about 1% of arrests, and note illegal crossings have dropped further under Trump. The case follows outcry over construction activity spotted near Big Bend National Park in August, which prompted a temporary pause by CBP. Native American groups warn of damage to religious sites, environmentalists cite flooding and wildlife migration concerns, and landowners fear losing access to the Rio Grande for irrigation and livestock. The lawsuit adds to a growing list of legal and political challenges facing the administration's border wall program in Texas.