US supreme court clears way for Trump’s border wall in Texas’s Big Bend
Ruling said law enacted by Congress reflects preference for border control over environmental and recreational harm
TL;DR
- The US Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to continue constructing a border wall in Texas's Big Bend region.
- The court granted an emergency request to suspend a lower court order that had halted the project.
- Liberal justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the sole dissenter.
- The court cited a 1996 law allowing the homeland security secretary to waive environmental and conservation laws for border construction.
- The court stated the government's interest in border construction outweighs alleged environmental and recreational harm.
- The project plans include over 300 miles of vehicle barriers and supporting roads.
- Plaintiffs, including environmental groups and a church preservation group, argue the project threatens wildlife, public lands, and the Rio Grande's river corridor.
- Bipartisan opposition exists from local residents concerned about livelihoods and community disruption.
- The Center for Biological Diversity condemned the decision, warning of permanent destruction to the region.
- CBP has awarded contracts worth over $6 billion for border security upgrades in Big Bend.