Story perspectives

Judge Denies Injunction, Allows 62-Mile Wall Work

8/17/2026

Summary

Story summary

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) began bulldozing in Big Bend National Park on August 4 for a $1.7 billion wall project.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon denied the Tohono O'odham Nation’s injunction on August 15, permitting work along a 62-mile reservation stretch.
Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) protested, urging officials to meet stakeholders because the Tohono O'odham Nation says the wall would destroy sacred sites and block religious pilgrimages.

History

Historical Context

The Secure Fence Act of 2006, signed by President George W. Bush, mandated 700 miles of new border barriers and allocated $1.2 billion. U.S. Customs and Border Protection subsequently built 1,000 miles of fencing, with the Department of Homeland Security reporting a $2.5 billion cost by 2015. Today, the $1.7 billion wall in Big Bend follows the 2006 act, as Judge Richard Leon’s August 15 order permits construction on the Tohono O'odham reservation. The continuation of fence expansion threatens sacred sites, prompting renewed legal challenges and prompting Congress to reconsider the Secure Fence Act’s environmental exemptions.

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Story summary

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) began bulldozing in Big Bend National Park on August 4 for a $1.7 billion wall project.
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon denied the Tohono O'odham Nation’s injunction on August 15, permitting work along a 62-mile reservation stretch.
Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX) and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) protested, urging officials to meet stakeholders because the Tohono O'odham Nation says the wall would destroy sacred sites and block religious pilgrimages.

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