Texas landowners feared border wall would cut off Rio Grande access; judge blocks Big Bend construction

Texas landowners feared border barriers would cut off access to the Rio Grande; an October 2 court order now blocks construction in the Big Bend sector while the legal challenge continues/Image: Getty Images A federal judge has blocked further construction of border barriers in Texas’ Big Bend region after landowners and local groups warned that the planned infrastructure could cut off their access to the Rio Grande and permanently alter the landscape.US District Judge Kathleen Cardone on Friday granted an environmental group's request for a preliminary injunction, keeping a halt on “ground-disturbing activities” in place while a broader legal challenge to the border projects moves through court.At the end of Friday's hearing, Cardone asked those in the courtroom to remain calm as she read her order from the bench. She found that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on their constitutional claims challenging the construction.The lawsuit was filed in April by the Center for Biological Diversity on behalf of the Friends of the Ruidosa Church, a nonprofit seeking to preserve a historic church in Presidio County, and Danny William Miller, a Rio Grande river guide and landowner whose p...