Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow border wall construction to resume in Big Bend region

Key Points:

• The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to lift a lower court injunction halting construction of a border wall and related infrastructure in the Big Bend Sector of West Texas, citing high rates of illegal crossings and drug smuggling in the area.
• The project, which includes walls, patrol roads, detection technology, and vehicle barriers, has faced opposition from lawmakers, local officials, environmental groups, and others concerned about its impact on Big Bend National Park and surrounding lands.
• The administration invoked a 1996 federal law allowing the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive environmental and historical preservation laws to expedite barrier construction in areas of high illegal entry, but a federal judge ruled these waivers exceeded authority and blocked construction.
• The government argues the Big Bend Sector is a hotspot for illegal crossings, with over 89,000 apprehensions between 2021 and 2025, while plaintiffs contend the sector has the fewest apprehensions relative to other border areas, covering over 25% of the border but accounting for only a small fraction of total crossings.
• The Justice Department is seeking emergency relief from the Supreme Court after the district court denied a pause on its injunction, aiming to resume construction on the border barrier in the disputed region.