A federal judge in El Paso issued an injunction on October 2 halting construction of a border barrier in the Big Bend region of West Texas, citing failures to meet legal requirements. The Justice Department subsequently petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn that order, arguing that the administration possesses statutory authority to waive environmental and historic preservation rules to accelerate barrier construction. The request comes as the project faces opposition from environmental groups, local landowners, and the Lipan Apache Tribe, who contend the wall would damage protected landscapes, historic sites, and wildlife corridors. Opponents also note that the area accounts for only about one percent of migrant apprehensions despite comprising a substantial stretch of the border. The legal dispute centers on whether prior waivers issued by former and current Homeland Security secretaries exceeded their delegated authority under existing statutes. Construction was previously paused in August amid bipartisan concerns over ecological impacts within Big Bend National Park, which spans roughly 805 kilometers of the international boundary.