United States district judge, Western District of Texas
Judge Cardone has barred construction in the Big Bend sector as she weighs the merits of challenges to the border-security plan. Opponents say the landscape and environment will suffer; the administration paused work earlier this year and now faces further scrutiny.
Landowners in Texas’s Big Bend region resist the administration’s border-wall plans, challenging survey access and pursuing court action as a judge halts work amid a broad, bipartisan backlash and a $7.5 billion investment to fortify the border.
The Justice Department has filed an emergency request to lift a lower-court injunction halting border-wall construction in Big Bend. The filing argues waivers issued by the Homeland Security secretary fall within authority, while opponents say the plan threatens the landscape and environment. A ruling is pending as cases move through the courts.