SAN ANTONIO — A federal court has scheduled an emergency hearing for Aug. 28 on a request to temporarily halt construction of the “Big Bend 2 Wall Project,” following a lawsuit from local residents and members of the Lipan Apache Tribe challenging the project on religious and constitutional grounds.
State Sen. Roland Gutierrez announced Tuesday that the court will hold an in-person evidentiary hearing on the plaintiffs’ request for a temporary restraining order against the Department of Homeland Security.
The hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. at Courthouse C of the United States Courthouse at 262 West Nueva Street in San Antonio.
The lawsuit, filed Friday, seeks to stop construction in affected areas of Big Bend National Park and surrounding communities. Gutierrez, attorneys Dick DeGeurin and Martin Golando represent the plaintiffs.
The legal action follows a recent pause in construction of the border project, which has drawn opposition from local residents, officials and environmental advocates.
“The Department of Homeland Security has already bulldozed this pristine land to an unrecognizable pulp,” Gutierrez said. “The Trump administration is spending $1.7 billion of our tax dollars to destroy this park and its natural wonder in an area where there are virtually no border crossings.”
The government has stipulated that the construction pause will remain in place through Aug. 31, according to the statement from Gutierrez’s office.
The plaintiffs will continue seeking court relief for areas affected by the project, both inside and outside Big Bend National Park.
Christina Hernandez, founder and director of The People of La Junta for Preservation, said the group is challenging the project to protect the Rio Grande, which holds cultural and spiritual significance for the Lipan Apache community.
“We are fighting the wall in court because Kónitsąąíí—the river that has carried our people, our prayers, and our ancestors for thousands of years—is not waiting for someone else to save her, and neither are we,” Hernandez said.
