The Trump administration on Friday extended a pause on border wall construction in Big Bend National Park in Texas after the project stoked bipartisan controversy.
The halt Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott put on construction earlier this month is now set to extend through Sept. 15, attorneys said following a federal court hearing in San Antonio. The pause, which was set to expire on Monday, applies to the national park and a section of land upriver and west of the park, a Justice Department attorney told U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia during the hearing.
The development is the latest twist in a legal battle between the Trump administration and plaintiffs over whether the government holds the authority to do the border wall project in the national park.
A group of Native American activists, area residents, and a local tourism and recreation business have sued to block the Big Bend project, raising concerns about the possible environmental impact, among other alleged issues.
“We’ve won the battle, not the war … we’ve got a lot of work to do,” said Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat state senator in Texas who also argued the case Friday on behalf of plaintiffs.
Federal attorneys argued otherwise, stating that CBP holds authority from the government to carry out the project.
BORDER WALL CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS ARRIVE AT BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK DESPITE LOCAL PUSHBACK
“Congress gave them the authority,” attorney Pamela Amaechi said during the hearing. “Congress has spoken.”
The pause comes as Garcia continues to consider plaintiffs’ request for a temporary restraining order. Garcia has indicated he expects to rule on that request within four to six days, according to attorneys.