Supreme Court Revives $1.7 Billion Texas Border Project, Allowing 500-Mile Big Bend Work
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Nov 9
Supreme Court Revives $1.7 Billion Texas Border Project, Allowing 500-Mile Big Bend Work
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Nov 9
Summary
A Supreme Court order let construction restart on the Big Bend sector of Trump’s border project while a lawsuit proceeds, with only Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson publicly dissenting.
The ruling lifts an October injunction from U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone, who had said the administration must comply with waived laws before resuming work.
The administration argued the project is urgently needed to curb migration and drug trafficking, citing more than 89,000 apprehensions in the sector from 2021 to 2025 and about 15% of border drug seizures.
Challengers say Big Bend accounts for only about 2% of migrant apprehensions and less than 1% of non-marijuana drug seizures, and warn roadbuilding and wall work could permanently damage protected wilderness.
The disputed Texas segment is part of a broader wall expansion funded by $46.5 billion from Congress; in the wider Big Bend region, more than 150 miles of 30-foot wall are still planned.