Eminent Domain

Landowners in Texas' Big Bend Region Fight Trump Administration's Attempts to Seize Land for Border Wall

A federal judge temporarily halted border wall construction in Texas' Big Bend region in response to one of several lawsuits by landowners and conservationists.

C.J. Ciaramella | 10.16.2026 11:28 AM

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(Mario Cantu/Cal Sport Media/Newscom)

The Trump administration's attempts to fast-track construction of the president's long-promised border wall through Texas' remote Big Bend region have ground to a halt amid fierce opposition, protests, and legal challenges from landowners and conservation groups.

A federal judge on Wednesday released an opinion explaining her decision to issue a preliminary injunction blocking border wall construction through the Big Bend area. U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone found that the plaintiffs, which included the Center for Biological Diversity and several longtime residents of the region, had shown a substantial threat of irreparable harm if the construction project is allowed to continue.

The Trump administration wants to spend $7.5 billion building additional security infrastructure along a 500-mile stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border running through the Big Bend region, which includes Big Bend National Park. The federal government began sending threatening letters to property owners announcing its........

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