Site work and new construction of a municipal facility in Sierra Blanca, Texas. Working plans call for the construction of a municipal facility.

https://www.chron.com/news/article/supreme-court-clears-way-border-wall-construction-22521599.php The Supreme Court cleared the way Monday for the Trump administration to resume border wall construction in the Big Bend region of Texas, a blow to bipartisan opponents who had argued the project is a waste of money that threatens the unique landscape. The border wall is a signature project of President Donald Trump, who has long vowed to build a wall from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. Landowners and business owners in the Big Bend region, environmentalists and others who've opposed the construction project were bitterly disappointed with the court's decision. "This horrific decision clears the way for contractors to bulldoze pristine desert and dynamite canyon walls before the courts have even decided whether this destruction is legal," said Laiken Jordahl, national public lands advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity, one of the groups that sued to stop the construction. "They're signing off on the permanent destruction of the wildest place in Texas, and the theft of a great American river from all of us." Republicans in Congress last summer funded the project with $46 billion, and Customs and Border Protection has been rapidly erecting 12 miles of barriers a week across the entire border with a goal of eventually covering the entire 2,000-mile border with a mixture of 30-foot-tall steel walls, vehicle barriers and surveillance technology designed to stop illegal immigration and smuggling. The government has pushed forward by issuing sweeping waivers to bypass regulations. Those rules are aimed at protecting the environment, but have historically slowed down major construction projects. Big Bend residents of both parties oppose the project In Texas's Big Bend region, bipartisan opposition has rallied to fight back against the project, which would include 30-foot-tall steel walls in some areas as well as vehicle barriers and new roads. They've argued that the barriers are a waste of money that threaten the local economy and lifestyle in an area of historically low illegal immigration. They say the job could be better done using only surveillance technology like drones. A judge in Texas sided with opponents, finding that Congress likely had not clearly authorized such broad waivers for an area with the southern border's lowest rate of migrant apprehensions. She ordered an immediate stop to all construction-related activity in the area, which includes Big Bend National Park as well as land up and down river in state and private hands. The Trump administration filed an emergency appeal, saying there are illegal border crossings and drug seizures in Big Bend. More traffic could also be funneled there if there's a gap in the wall, federal attorneys argued. Customs and Border Protection head Rodney Scott said in an interview with The Associated Press that if the Big Bend area were left without a wall or other border infrastructure while other areas along the border get those fortifications, he's convinced it would be swiftly overrun by cartels. The Supreme Court agreed that the law sharply limits judges' powers to intervene when the federal government decides speedy border barrier construction is necessary. The majority paused the lower court decision as the case plays out. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented. CBP did not immediately respond to questions about how swiftly construction could restart. The agency started building an initial section of border wall in one area of the roughly 500-mile stretch that makes up the Big Bend region, but that was stopped with the judge's order. Construction activity in national park sparked outrage The agency has encountered intense opposition from landowners up and down the region when it comes to getting permissions to enter their land to survey and build. The Center for Biological Diversity sued over the construction, along with Friends of the Ruidosa Church and a river guide in the Big Bend area. Jordahl said it was the first time the government had waived a broad set of environmental laws inside a national park. David Keller lives in the Big Bend region, is a member of the board of Conserve Big Bend and is a plaintiff in a separate lawsuit of landowners opposing the border wall projects. He called the court's decision devastating: "Everything is on the line again." Keller called the border infrastructure projects the "industrialization of one of the last best open undeveloped wild places in the lower 48 states." "We can't afford to lose any more. Not an ounce. Not an acre," he said. "We need wild country to be who we are, to be fully human, to be American I would say." The projects have drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, including outgoing Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who wrote an op-ed arguing against the project published Monday in the San Antonio Express-News hours before the court's decision. "A combination of modern technology, adequate staffing, and meaningful cooperation with local officials and landowners offers a more sensible and effective path forward than indiscriminate construction of unnecessary barriers," Cornyn wrote. The government in August paused construction activity in Big Bend National Park that sparked outrage when bulldozers were spotted breaking ground in the park. The government has repeatedly said no steel walls are planned for the national park. Initial plans included a new road as well as some vehicle barriers in the park. CBP has said in court filings that it will come forward with a finalized plan for what it intends to build in the national park but so far hasn't done so while the case was at the Supreme Court. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article317628219.html Republican Brandon Herrera and Democrat Katy Padilla Stout both oppose construction of a physical border wall in Big Bend National Park. But the San Antonio candidates still clashed over the policy, and many others, in their first and only debate as they compete to represent the 23rd Congressional District. Moderators asked how they would vote if a broad federal spending bill included money for the project. "I will not be voting for anything that includes funding for a physical barrier that disrupts Big Bend. That is something that I've been the leading voice on the conservative side for," said Herrera, a gun rights YouTuber known as "The AK Guy." READ MORE: National Democrats once wrote off this San Antonio congressional race. Why are they jumping in now Padilla Stout, a child-welfare lawyer, accused him of still pushing for a "smart wall," which U.S. Customs and Border Protection says is comprised of a steel bollard or waterborne barrier, along with roads, detection technology, cameras and lighting. Herrera did not address her claims on the stage, but has said in the past that an alternative solution to the Trump administration's plans could be "advanced technologies and an interdiction strategy." When asked about the smart wall after the debate, he told Hearst Newspapers he's against physical construction of any kind of barrier, including water barriers. The congressional district stretches across 27 counties, from San Antonio to West Texas, and has been under Republican control for more than a decade. Democrats say they see an opening and are putting millions behind Padilla Stout. The Cook Political Report rates the race "Likely Republican." Herrera, who often creates headlines for his controversial online commentary, told the moderators he wished the race had been more focused on policy discussion. In her opening remarks, Padilla Stout called Herrera "unfit for this office for a multitude of reasons." She accused him of going to Robb Elementary School - where a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in 2022 - and firing at "child-shaped targets." He demanded an apology, calling her statement untrue and "slander." She later corrected herself. "It wasn't at Robb Elementary. It was down the street in Uvalde County," she said. "But I apologize for saying (it) - you weren't actually at the elementary school." Herrera has said he was with other YouTubers who brought cartoon child cutouts to a gun range as "no shoot" targets, which result in a penalty if they're accidentally hit. MORE TEXAS POLITICS: GOP group withdraws millions from bid to unseat Henry Cuellar in South Texas Padilla Stout then accused Herrera of lying about her own record by saying she wants to defund the police and to return to the Biden administration's "catch and release" policy for asylum seekers. "I'd like an apology," she said. Padilla Stout told the Express-News earlier this year she would support the immigration policy. The candidates also clashed over how to prevent another school shooting like the one in Uvalde. Herrera said he supported armed guards at schools and floated the idea of hiring out-of-work veterans for the job. Padilla Stout said she wants to invest in mental health and raise the age to purchase assault weapons to 21. The two were also asked about keeping rural hospitals open and how they planned to make healthcare more affordable. Herrera said federal funds would be an important part of the solution. Padilla Stout said rural healthcare would be at the top of her priority list, but didn't say exactly how in her response. In her campaign, she has called for expanding Medicareto cover all Americans, strengthening the Affordable Care Act and expanding federal community health centers "so that families in both rural and urban areas have access to medical and preventive care." The congressional district was previously represented by U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales. The San Antonio Republican resigned last spring amid a backlash over his affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.star-telegram.com/news/state/texas/article317331943.html Border wall construction begins in Hudspeth County near Big Bend While construction inside Big Bend National Park has been temporarily paused, construction has already begun in areas surrounding the park. In Hudspeth County, construction has begun on 30-foot steel wall panels along a 47-mile stretch of far West Texas from south of Sierra Blanca to Big Bend Ranch State Park. Opponents of the Big Bend border wall project said Friday in a news release that U.S. Customs and Border Protection has begun the first major border wall construction in the Big Bend region. "The threat of a border wall in our region is now a reality," said Clara Bensen, board member with Conserve Big Bend and communication director for the No Big Bend Wall initiative. "This is heartbreaking, especially for the families who have worked this land for generations." Bensen said CBP's apprehension numbers show the Big Bend sector has had the fewest apprehensions of any Southwest border sector for 53 years. "Nothing in that record justifies a wall," she explained. "Hundreds of us are standing together, and a few steel panels going up doesn't change that." Bensen said the construction prompted Big Bend landowners to file a motion in federal court against the federal government on Sept. 14. Roughly 65% of the land in the project footprint is private property, Bensen said. Construction began a week after Conserve Big Bend and six landowners filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and CBP. The lawsuit argues that the Big Bend sector does not meet the "high illegal entry" standard that DHS must satisfy to waive dozens of federal laws and fast-track a wall in the area. "According to the complaint, the Big Bend sector has recorded the fewest apprehensions of any Southwest border sector every year for 53 years, and apprehensions there dropped 74% between fiscal years 2023 and 2025," said the news release. "Those are CBP's own numbers. The suit asks the court to block construction across the region." While work inside the national park remains paused, that pause will expire Sept. 30. Additionally, the pause covers only certain areas of the project. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.mrt.com/news/article/here-s-where-trump-s-border-wall-stands-and-how-22398507.php Here's where Trump's border wall stands, and how much is complete So far during President Donald Trump's second term, his administration has built about 64 miles of new primary walls along the U.S.-Mexico border and has replaced about 39 miles, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection as of Aug. 19. This comes as $46.5 billion was allocated to the build under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed in July 2025. Related video above: House passes immigration enforcement bill amid partisan divide Additionally, about 51 miles of secondary border walls - which run alongside the primary walls to provide an additional barrier - have been built under the new administration. Trump's decade-old campaign promise of a wall currently spans 38% of the 1,954-mile border dividing the United States and Mexico, or about 750 miles. Some of that was built prior to his first presidency. About 87 new miles of border wall were built under Trump's first term, although he also replaced 371 miles of the existing wall. Prior to Trump's first term in office, about 654 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border wall was built under the presidencies of George W. Bush and Barack Obama. That includes about 345 miles of pedestrian fence and about 300 miles of vehicle barriers. As of Aug. 19, there are about 747 miles of primary wall and about 126 miles of secondary wall along the border, according to CBP. Construction plans Much of the U.S.-Mexico border is separated by a natural barrier: the Rio Grande River. The Trump administration has built about 26 miles of a waterborne barrier system, which consists of large floating buoys that link together. More than 500 additional miles are either under construction or planned, per CBP. About 308 miles of new primary border wall are under construction, according to the CBP, and plans for 255 more miles have been awarded. An additional 525 miles of secondary border wall are also under construction or planned. "Border wall construction is planned for completion in 2028," a CBP spokesperson told the Get the Facts Data Team via email. ------------------ https://www.chron.com/news/article/big-bend-border-wall-housing-22381915.php The ownership swap comes as bulldozers sent by the Trump administration tear up vegetation at Big Bend National Park, creating clearings for the construction of border barriers and roads. Per the Department of Homeland Security, 17 miles of vehicle barriers and hundreds of miles of patrol roads are set to be installed in the area inside and surrounding Big Bend National Park on the Texas-Mexico border. The project will be completed by Southwest Valley Constructors, which was awarded a $1.7 billion contract in May, per the Sentinel. There is no indication that Park Group Construction has said the property will be used to house workers involved in the border project. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ https://www.chron.com/news/article/west-texas-organization-sues-trump-administration-22311827.php West Texas organization sues Trump administration to stop border wall in Big Bend An economic development organization for the city of Presidio and Presidio County filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Wednesday, saying the federal government's plans to install border barriers and other technology along the Rio Grande will cause communities to flood in the Big Bend area. Democracy Forward, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., filed the lawsuit in a federal court in Washington, D.C., on behalf of the Presidio Municipal Development District, which advocates for the city's economic development and is governed by a board appointed by the city of Presidio. Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, said in a statement that the Trump administration's border wall plans in the Big Bend region -- made up of Presidio, Jeff Davis and Brewster counties -- is reckless and disregards the harm border barriers will do to the community. "Construction on the federal flood-control works in Presidio could compromise their integrity and leave the region vulnerable to deadly flash floods capable of destroying infrastructure, homes, farmland, and agriculture," Perryman said. "That means real harm to real people in the area. Democracy Forward is honored to hold the government accountable as it recklessly pushes forward with its unlawful border wall construction." A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson said in a statement that the Trump administration is still in the planning stages of where to erect border barriers and where to install technology in the Big Bend region. In the lawsuit, Democracy Forward claims the Trump administration did not seek permission from the Secretary of the Army to build any border barriers along the Presidio Flood Control Project -- a levee system and boundary line built and managed by the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission. The claim says that building 30-foot steel bollards embedded in a concrete base on top of the earthen slope of the existing levee can lead to dangerous floods. The current earthen levees have helped protect the region from dangerous floods in 1978 and in 2008, when parts of Presidio flooded. Altering the current levees can cause more harm, the lawsuit says. The Trump administration has said it wants to close any gaps along the entire U.S.-Mexico border, including in the Big Bend region, an isolated expanse surrounded by rugged canyons and mountains that have served as natural barriers, deterring people from crossing the border illegally. Big Bend is the largest Border Patrol sector, covering 77 Texas counties and 517 miles of the 1,954-mile-long U.S.-Mexico border. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the agency recorded 3,096 migrant encounters in the sector in fiscal year 2025, or 1.3% of the 237,538 apprehensions recorded across the entire U.S.-Mexico border. That is a 74% drop compared to the two previous fiscal years. And in the first seven months of the current fiscal year, the sector has logged 1,236 encounters, a 42.5% drop compared to the first seven months of the previous year. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Description: U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to construct 30-foot-high steel bollard border barriers along a segment of the U.S.–Mexico border known as Big Bend 1, extending from Sierra Blanca, Texas, to near the Hudspeth–Jeff Davis County line. The project is part of a broader federal border security initiative in West Texas and is supported by a $1 billion construction contract awarded to Barnard Construction. Work includes installation of physical barriers, associated access improvements, and supporting infrastructure, with completion targeted for 2027