DOJ asks Supreme Court to allow border wall construction in Big Bend region

CBS News, ABC News and The Independent report that the Justice Department has gone to the Supreme Court seeking emergency relief from a lower-court order that froze Big Bend border wall work in West Texas. The order set back one of President Donald Trump's signature projects, according to CBS News · ABC News.

Judge Kathleen Cardone issued the preliminary injunction, which ABC News dates to Oct. 2. She concluded that the plaintiffs will likely prove that the waivers Homeland Security used to skip environmental rules exceeded the secretary's authority. CBS News adds that the waivers came from Kristi Noem and her successor Markwayne Mullin. The government counters that a 1996 law lets the secretary waive rules in areas of "high illegal entry," and Solicitor General D. John Sauer says the injunction hampers efforts against drugs and illegal crossings. CBS News reports the government counts more than 89,000 apprehensions there from 2021 through 2025, while plaintiffs say the sector ranks last among the southern sectors.

ABC News and The Independent add that the government fears crossings could shift to Big Bend if it stays unwalled, while opponents say drones and surveillance towers cost far less.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CBS News · ABC News, ABC News and The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at CBS News · ABC News → Also at ABC News → Also at The Independent →