Judge temporarily halts border wall construction in Big Bend National Park

US district judge Kathleen Cardone issued a temporary order following a Friday hearing in El Paso, blocking the Trump administration's rapid push to expand border wall infrastructure through the Big Bend region of west Texas.

Plans to build new roads and six-foot vehicle barriers through Big Bend National Park have drawn significant public backlash since construction began this year. Images from August showing bulldozers clearing ground for new roads sparked outrage, prompting CBP commissioner Rodney Scott to briefly pause the work. Construction resumed in September.

Friday's ruling followed a lawsuit brought by the Friends of the Ruidosa church, the Center for Biological Diversity, and river guide Billy Miller, who sought to overturn waivers issued by the Department of Homeland Security that had suspended dozens of environmental and historical protection laws to speed up the project.

Cardone blocked those waivers, finding that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their case and would suffer irreparable harm if construction continued. The order bars CBP from further construction or ground disturbance unless it complies with the federal laws DHS had attempted to bypass.

Laiken Jordahl of the Center for Biological Diversity called the ruling a historic victory for the region, while stressing that the fight continues until environmental protections are fully restored and the waiver is permanently revoked.

CBP has already awarded five contracts worth more than $6bn to expand what it calls a "smart wall" system combining steel bollard fencing, vehicle barriers and surveillance technology. A CBP spokesperson said the agency remains confident in its legal authority and is working with the Department of Justice on next steps.

Last year's congressional spending bill allocated $46.5bn for border wall construction, with much of that funding directed toward Big Bend, which contains the longest unwalled stretch of the US-Mexico border. Local landowners and officials argue that unauthorized crossings are already rare there due to the area's remoteness and difficult terrain.