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The ruling dealt a setback to the Trump administration’s plans for hundreds of miles of barriers that have drawn local opposition.

Oct. 2, 2026

A federal judge in El Paso on Friday halted border wall construction across the Big Bend region, dealing a blow to the Trump administration’s effort to erect hundreds of miles of barriers despite fierce local opposition.

The federal government “shall not build border barrier or related infrastructure, or engage in any construction or ground disturbing activities, in the Big Bend sector,” the judge, Kathleen Cardone, wrote in her order, which she read from the bench.

In a two-page order granting an injunction in the case, the judge said the federal government could not rely on waivers of environmental and other laws it had granted itself to speed up the construction, writing that it “must comply with all applicable laws.” Judge Cardone ruled that the government could not use the waivers until the case was resolved.

She wrote that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on the merits of at least one of their claims.

The lawsuit, filed in the Western District of Texas by plaintiffs including a river boat guide and a church preservation group, sought to stop U.S. Customs and Border Protection from building border barriers across a more-than-500-mile stretch of the frontier with Mexico. The plans, which include some barriers in Big Bend National Park, have been the focus of months of protests and stop-and-start construction activity.

In a statement, the border protection agency said that it was working “on next steps” with the Justice Department. “We stand by our assessment and remain confident in our legal authorities to secure the border while preserving the unique landscape of the Big Bend region,” the statement said.

The order came days after federal lawyers told the court in a legal filing that the border protection agency would resume barrier construction in several areas in the Big Bend region, though not the national park, after a voluntary pause on activity. The agency also said in the filing that it was revising its plans for the national park — where bulldozers and heavy machinery had already begun operating in August — and would make them public early this month.

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HOUSTON – The 90th annual Fort Bend County Fair & Rodeo is officially underway in Rosenberg, bringing more than a week of carnival rides, rodeo action, live music, fair food, livestock events and family-friendly fun. The fair runs September 24^th - October 4^th at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds.

And with 90 years under its belt, this isn’t just a fair—it’s a Fort Bend County tradition that has been bringing generations of families together for decades.

The midway is packed with rides, attractions and plenty of classic fair favorites while you make your way around the grounds.

For the little ones, there’s Mutton Bustin’, the Diaper Derby, a Stick Horse Rodeo and even a Children’s Tractor Pull.

There are also livestock shows featuring everything from rabbits and goats to steers, swine and lambs, giving visitors a chance to see the hard work local 4-H and FFA exhibitors put in throughout the year.

The PRCA Rodeo takes over the O.D. Tucker Arena October 1–4, along with events including barrel racing, team roping, calf roping, mutton bustin’ and more.

The fair’s 90th anniversary celebration also comes with a packed concert lineup. This year’s performers include Sawyer Brown, Pat Green, Prófugos de Nuevo León, David Lewis, Josh Meloy, Vincent Mason and Gary P. Nunn, among others.

And the Fort Bend County Fair isn’t just about entertainment. The organization supports local youth, agriculture and education, including scholarships and youth livestock programs. Over the past decade, the fair has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships, while last year’s youth auctions generated $1.4 million in support of local exhibitors.

The Fort Bend County Fairgrounds are located at 4310 Highway 36 South, Rosenberg, TX, and you can find tickets and info at fortbendcountyfair.com.

Watch as Lauren Kelly saddles up for a first look!

Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved.

On an overcast August morning, river guides shuttled a group of visitors and a trailer of canoes through Big Bend National Park’s rugged expanse. When they reached the riverbank, the journey downstream began. “Paddle straight!” a guide called to the zigzagging boat. “Otherwise, you’ll go Texas, Mexico, Texas, Mexico.”

The sightseers paddled through the Rio Grande’s labyrinthine canyons, snaking through clusters of willows and prickly pears. Great blue herons waded along the shallow banks in search of a meal. Ocotillos waved their leafy tentacles as if to greet boaters who had trekked to one of the country’s most remote regions to paddle the river.

For many of the park’s estimated 550,000 annual visitors, floating the waterway is a pilgrimage to honor the nation’s protected public lands. “We were completely blown away,” said Ariel Cannon, a lawyer from Manhattan who had recently completed a different paddling trip. “We left with this amazing appreciation for what the landscape looked like before people built things on it.”

But in early August, the Trump administration began the construction process for a border barrier in Big Bend. While locals, conservationists, and environmentalists have lamented the ecological toll, outdoor guides fear an additional consequence that could put them out of business and cut off a way of connecting with the park. If put up, these structures could block off the river, triggering the demise of its storied rafting outfitters.

The effort to militarize this region started in February, when former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem declared an “acute and immediate need” for barriers in the Big Bend sector, deeming it “an area of high illegal entry.” But Customs and Border Protection data shows that the national park itself accounted for only 0.045 percent of apprehensions at the US-Mexico border last year. Meanwhile, locals in nearby Terlingua—a tiny town of spunky nature-lovers—say they have never seen migrants traversing sheer cliff faces and vast expanses of desert to cross the border in Big Bend. Residents feel so safe that many never lock their doors.

“All it takes is seeing this place with your own two eyes to see that there’s no crisis,” said Billy Miller, a longtime Big Bend rafting guide.

Still, the federal government waived dozens of environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act, the National Fish and Wildlife Act, and the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, to expedite construction. It also allocated $1.7 billion to construction in the Big Bend region. Soon after, 18-wheelers and heavy machinery rolled into town. Private contractors cleared acres of land to house workers.

“It feels like an occupying army is invading,” said Miller.

These days, when Miller and other guides take visitors to the river, they pass bulldozers and road graders set to clear protected lands. For those who live and work in the region, the Rio Grande is no less than a piece of the divine. Having guided for over two decades, Miller has memories on every curve of the river—floating in crystalline water, telling campfire stories, and tracing constellations in one of the continent’s darkest skies. When his son was born, Miller named him after the river.

“The Rio Grande is where home is. It’s a connection with the natural world. It's a connection with humanity from the past,” he said. “Now, they’re planning to sever that connection.”

The Department of Homeland Security’s original plan was to build a 30-foot steel wall in Big Bend National Park, mirroring other parts of the US-Mexico border. But in tranquil west Texas towns more disposed to exploring the outdoors than protesting the federal government, the decision united people from across the political spectrum against the wall.

After months of public outrage, the administration nixed its initial plans and instead proceeded to build a new road and vehicle barrier, a railing with alternating four- and six-foot steel posts. But river outfitters and residents say the vehicle barrier is just as unacceptable as a wall and have continued organizing against the construction. Signs reading “no border wall” and “no service for contractors” adorn Terlingua’s homes and businesses.

Visitors to Big Bend, too, have been compelled to join the campaign. Awestruck by the animal tracks along the riverbank and appalled by the government’s plans, Cannon’s 16-year-old decided to donate some of his personal savings to the nonprofit No Big Bend Wall.

“He said it’s the first time he’s felt politically activated,” Cannon said.

Now, the community is working to convince the administration that Big Bend needs no physical barrier at all. With the impending construction, some visitors have canceled their reservations because of the destruction. Others are rushing to visit the park before it is irreparably damaged. Meanwhile, the future of Big Bend’s river outfitters is in flux.

The administration’s plans have been opaque and inconsistent, incensing stakeholders. Despite requesting updates and construction plans, locals only find information through officials’ social media feeds. They pore over contradictory CBP maps, trying to make sense of it all.

Billy Bartko is the owner of Far Flung Outdoor Center, a Terlingua-based outfitter that has guided tens of thousands of visitors onto the Rio Grande since 1976. “The beauty is in what man hasn’t touched,” he said. “There’s just zero value in that to this administration.”

On August 13, Bartko and other plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the barrier expansion, adding to at least three other legal actions. Four days later, after months of public outrage, Customs and Border Protection commissioner Rodney Scott paused construction in the national park, flying in to evaluate the project.

For now, Bartko said he can sleep at night knowing there will be no destruction in the park. But the administration’s plans often oscillate, and the community is too scared by CBP’s occlusion and blatant disregard for the park to rest assured. “I personally do not trust them at all,” Bartko added.

As rafting outfitters hold their breath, one thing is certain: River trips could prove impossible even if access is partially preserved. Put-ins and take-outs, where river trips begin and end, shift as the river changes course, making one year’s access point unviable the next.

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Customs and Border Protection pledged gates to access the river, said Miller. But outfitters are hesitant to believe them: Elsewhere, CBP has often broken the same promise. Gates that were constructed sometimes broke or obstructed emergency vehicle access.

Floods could also wash construction materials, like jagged metal and broken cement blocks, into the water, creating dangerous obstacles. And vehicle barriers pose a safety risk by impeding ambulances during emergencies. “They’re basically spending billions of dollars to create hazards to boaters,” said Miller.

Most of all, river guides say, barriers and patrol roads would transform a remote natural haven into a militarized political arena. “The whole premise of doing a river trip out here is to enjoy the wilderness,” said Miller. “Nobody’s going to want to do that when you’re camping literally under surveillance towers.”

Thania Rodriguez, a Houston native, drove through the night to paddle the Rio Grande with Far Flung. En route to the put-in, she scrolled through photos of the bulldozers at work. “It makes me sad that we’re destroying a national park,” she said. “I don’t want to come see a wall.”

On her three-hour float down the river, Rodriguez and her group saw nothing other than pure wilderness. Imagining barriers alongside the river that she had traveled 10 hours to see, Rodriguez wondered aloud, “Would I come back?” She paused. “Honestly, probably not.”

River outfitters themselves can’t conceive of saying goodbye to the Rio Grande. But Bartko believes that if access was restricted, at least half of Terlingua’s annual revenue would dry up, posing an existential risk for river businesses. Still, Bartko, Miller, and other guides and outfitters refuse to back down when it comes to defending Big Bend from the Trump administration.

“I’m terrified that we won’t win this battle. I fear for future generations,” said Miller as the sun set behind him, casting long shadows across the ineffable desert landscape. “But even if they build what they want to build, people care so much about Big Bend and the Rio Grande that the fight won’t be over.”

Beyond its environmental harms, border wall construction in West Texas is destroying archaeological sites

In West Texas, locals are near unanimous in their feeling that the Trump administration's plans for a border wall will change the Big Bend region irreparably. Local sheriffs have lamented the economic impacts to the region. Conservationists have bemoaned the ecological toll. And property owners have fretted about land seizures. Different sections of the border are slated for different kinds of barriers and roads, but all of it requires extensive excavation. Just this month, contractors arrived in Big Bend National Park (BBNP) to start bulldozing roads and leveling mountains.

Their plans include surveillance technology, vehicle barriers, and service roads through the national park. Similar structures, including more vehicle barriers, floating buoys meant to block river crossings, and service roads, are planned for the federally protected Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River and Amistad National Recreation Area. And while the destruction of ecosystems and the waiving of environmental laws have been well covered, less attention has been given to the archaeological sites that are threatened by the hardening of this stretch of the border.

Humans have lived here for at least 13,000 years, and the recovery of what’s left of their existence is only just beginning, according to researchers. If construction continues, some worry that Americans would lose an important part of Texas history and culture. Prehistoric sites include hearths, earth ovens, and petroforms, such as medicine wheels, which until recently had only been found much farther north.

“It’s rare to find sites that show that kind of integrity, not just in Texas but anywhere in the world,” said David Keller, a Texas-based archaeologist. “We have only just begun to uncover what’s here.”

The loss of historical sites

One person at the forefront of the work on the border is Sam Cason. He’s primarily focused on doing the prep work at archaeological sites before contractors get there. Once work begins, he ensures that they follow federal and state laws meant to keep artifacts intact. When he studied the Big Bend region, Cason found that only 17 percent of the construction area had been surveyed. Yet, even in this tiny fraction, 360 archaeological sites were found. More than 130 are within Big Bend National Park. Over 20 have evidence of human remains. He’s currently calculating how many sites are undiscovered.

“The discovery rate suggests that there are about 1,370 undiscovered sites along the construction corridor,” he said. “At least 100 of which will have human remains.”

Tom Alex, former archaeologist for BBNP, says it’s rare to find evidence of people living in one place continuously from pre-Hispanic time until the 20th century. Yet the national park has more sites than anywhere else along the corridor, many in the path of the construction. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has offered no explanation for why they are building hundreds of miles of continuous vehicle barrier in a place where such extensive historical sites are known to be. In addition, a road along the river already exists within the park, but CBP plans to build an additional one. Construction involves a patrol road and underground utility infrastructure, buried fiberoptic cable, an electric power line, and surveillance equipment mounted on towers that will be lit. Alex says that much of it is in an active floodplain, and there’s a high risk of equipment getting washed downriver.

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Unlike Big Bend National Park, which has received a lot of scrutiny given the federal government’s mandate to have a public process, state lands, such as the adjacent Big Bend Ranch State Park, are almost entirely unsurveyed. Cason said that archaeologists could still uncover a thousand or more sites on these lands.

Two state agencies that oversee the cultural resources of Texas are the Texas Parks and Wildlife Division and the Texas Historical Commission. They are tasked with protecting cultural resources on state lands as well as overseeing projects undertaken by the federal government. Close watchers say these two state entities have been silent on the matter of the border wall and have failed to keep the public informed about the coming impacts.

Under normal circumstances, contractors working at historical sites must adhere to federal laws, including the Antiquities Act of 1906, the National Historic Preservation Act, and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. On the other hand, the federal government has a duty to work with state partners and federally recognized Native American tribes. In this case, CBP is required by law to consult with the state on how it can minimize impact on cultural resources.

But the Trump administration has waived the laws.

“They’re not breaking the law, because the law has been waived. But they are shirking the responsibilities of stewardship by not being vocal in the face of the destruction,” Cason said. “This is antithetical to the very ethos of Texas.”

One of the federally recognized tribes whose ancestral land includes Big Bend is the Mescalero Apache Tribe. Normally, a construction project would have required a cultural resource survey, and every recognized tribe with claims to the land would with be involved in the survey or be given the archaeology report to review and weigh in on. Tribal historic preservation officer Holly Houghton said no one from either the state or federal agencies has contacted the tribe, including the national park.

She is especially concerned with what happens when the bulldozers hit human remains. Under federal law, they are required to stop, but they’re no longer required to be accompanied by a monitor who is trained to identify human remains, so she does not believe they will stop digging. She said that every cultural site is also a relationship of trust, sharing knowledge, and collaboration that took years to establish. “All that’s being eroded now,” she said.

Diverging views on private land

Directly upstream from Big Bend Ranch State Park lies La Junta de Los Rios, where two other rivers flow into the Rio Grande. It holds yet-to-be-found sites of Indigenous culture, as well as more recent Texas history. One important site has already been impacted—the location of the Porvenir Massacre. It’s here that, in 1918, Texas Rangers separated 15 men and boys from their families and murdered them in the name of border security. The border wall will cut off access to the site from the US side.

Keller, who has excavated the site over the years, sent a report to the Army Corps of Engineers, which secured the right of entry for survey and construction, describing its location and significance. He heard nothing back. “They disregard not only the law and Texas history, but the victims and survivors of the massacre,” Keller said. “Their descendants live here.”

Another site directly in the path of construction is a village called Polvo. River guide Charlie Angell owns the four-acre state archaeological landmark, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Despite its designation, it is currently slated to have the 30-foot steel wall running through it.

Native Americans have lived here since at least 1,300, and so far, archaeologists have uncovered six human burials. Xoxi Nayapiltzin, an Indigenous community elder who has been repatriating and reburying ancestral remains for over two decades, says there must be many more at this site. He traces his roots to the Concho Indians, who lived at the Polvo mission up until 1715. “We are not federally recognized,” Nayapiltzin said. “But this is our homeland, since always.”

Angell won’t allow surveyors on his property until they offer a plan for how to proceed without disturbing the site. “This is Texas, and I can defend my property,” he said.

In his 13 years living along the river, Angell said he has seen zero crossings on his land.

But some private landowners are looking to make a big payout by selling to the Trump administration. For example, the owners of Yeti, a brand whose merchandise commemorates Big Bend National Park, are turning over land for development, further threatening yet-to-be found archaeological sites. Some of the big ranches are providing staging areas, storage, sand, and gravel for construction, and moving steel into big yards. Other owners are renting out land for camps to host hundreds of construction workers.

The vehicle barrier is also planned for the private land downstream from Big Bend State and National Parks. Known as the Lower Canyons, that area is one of the most archaeologically rich areas in the world, revered for its cave paintings, created over thousands of years by ancient hunter-gatherers.

Raymond Skiles’s family has owned a part of this land for generations. Because there is no public access to the caves on his family property, they are exceptionally well preserved. But they are limestone, which means that even vibrations from blasts can ruin them.

“If this were public land, it would already be a major national monument,” he said. The vehicle barrier will cut off immediate access to the caves. The service road will cut directly through Skiles’s family cemetery, where his parents and grandparents are buried. However, there is no history of vehicle crossings through the Lower Canyons, Skiles said, because the canyons and the river are almost impassable by vehicles.

“The entire Big Bend makes up a quarter of the border with Mexico, but it has the least illegal crossings. It’s the most rugged and least accessible section,” he said. “CBP folks I have spoken to privately say that keeping it this way is the best deterrent.”

A proposed Tesla project worth more than $10 billion could bring thousands of jobs to Fort Bend County if the company moves forward with plans to build a large solar manufacturing facility.

Lamar Consolidated Independent School District trustees are expected to consider a property tax incentive for Tesla Tuesday night as the company explores more than 3,000 acres near FM 762 and FM 1994.

The proposed project would involve an estimated $10.1 billion investment to build a facility capable of manufacturing solar cells and solar panels.

Tesla says the project could eventually create nearly 10,000 permanent full-time jobs.

A key part of Tesla’s plans involves a potential tax incentive from Lamar CISD.

Under the proposed agreement, Tesla would receive a reduction on a portion of its school property tax bill for a set period of time.

The company would still be responsible for paying other applicable school property taxes.

The incentive is being considered as Tesla evaluates the Fort Bend County site for the massive manufacturing project.

Two major steps are expected Tuesday night.

First, members of the public will have an opportunity to weigh in on the proposed project and tax agreement during a public hearing.

The Lamar CISD Board of Trustees will then consider whether to move forward with the proposed property tax agreement.

The public hearing is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday night’s vote does not mean Tesla has officially decided to build the facility in Fort Bend County. Instead, it would move the proposed tax agreement forward as the company continues evaluating the project.

If completed, the proposed Tesla facility could represent one of the largest economic-development projects in the region and bring thousands of new jobs to Fort Bend County.

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