Trump administration asks Supreme Court to lift halt on Big Bend border project
publishers 20articles 21first reported 21 Oct, 20:39 UTCdeveloping since 22 Oct · 7 editions
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Wednesday to allow construction of border barriers and related infrastructure to resume in the Big Bend region of West Texas while a legal challenge continues.
The Justice Department’s emergency application seeks to lift an injunction issued Oct. 2 by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone in El Paso. Her order halted work until the government complies with applicable laws, and she later concluded that Homeland Security officials had exceeded their authority when waiving environmental and historic-preservation requirements.
The planned work includes 30-foot bollard walls, vehicle barriers, patrol roads, lighting and detection technology along portions of the U.S.-Mexico border. Customs and Border Protection has said the wall itself would not run through Big Bend National Park, though roughly 17 miles of vehicle barriers and other infrastructure would be built there. CBS News reported that construction began last month on a 47-mile section and that the government has awarded contracts for five projects in the area.
The lawsuit was brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, a local river guide and other challengers seeking to protect wildlife, the landscape and a historic church. The project has also drawn opposition from Texas lawmakers in both parties, ranchers and local law enforcement officials.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that the injunction impedes efforts to curb unauthorized crossings and drug smuggling. Opponents say the Big Bend sector accounts for about 1% of migrant arrests. The Supreme Court has not yet acted on the request.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 2 with the publisher's own text; 7 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 6 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 20
- Source articles
- 21
- Given to the writer
- 8, 2 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 7
- This version written
- 6 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
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