CBP weighs scaling back Big Bend border construction

A federal judge in Texas, Kathleen Cardone, temporarily halted border-wall and related infrastructure construction across the Big Bend region, including ground-disturbing work, while a lawsuit proceeds. She found that challengers were likely to prevail on at least one claim and faced a risk of serious, irreparable harm, and barred the administration from relying on waivers of federal protections. The suit, brought by environmental advocates, a historic-church preservation group and a local river guide and landowner, argues that the projects were advanced unlawfully and threaten private property, cultural and historic resources, wildlife and the environment. The Trump administration has said it is considering reducing the project’s scope, and Customs and Border Protection said it was consulting with the Justice Department on next steps. The broader plan has drawn local and bipartisan opposition over proposed roads, vehicle barriers, lighting and other security measures, after plans for a 30-foot wall through the park were abandoned.