BROWNSVILLE, Texas — A coalition of tribal, conservation, and environmental justice groups filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday seeking to block a land exchange that would transfer 715 acres of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge to SpaceX in South Texas, according to court records.
The lawsuit names the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a defendant and challenges a proposed exchange that would give SpaceX refuge land near Boca Chica in return for 683 acres of company-owned property adjacent to the site.
The plaintiffs include the Center for Biological Diversity, Save RGV, the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas, and the South Texas Environmental Justice Network.
The groups argue that the proposed exchange violates federal laws governing the National Wildlife Refuge System, including requirements that land swaps provide a net conservation benefit to both the individual refuge and the broader system.
The complaint alleges that federal agencies did not meet that standard in approving the exchange and that the transfer would permanently reduce wildlife habitat and public access in the region.
The lawsuit also alleges violations of the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act.
Plaintiffs said the land exchange includes portions of the Palmito Ranch Battlefield National Historic Landmark, which they described in court filings as a protected historic site.
The groups said rocket launches, explosions, debris, and fires from SpaceX operations have damaged refuge land in the area. They cited a 2024 study referenced in their filings that they said found shorebird nest damage following launch activity near the site.
The Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1979 to protect habitat along the Rio Grande. The refuge includes habitat for species such as ocelots, aplomado falcons, piping plovers, red knots, green jays, and Altamira orioles.
Laiken Jordahl of the Center for Biological Diversity said the land exchange would harm public lands and wildlife habitat.
Mary Angela Branch of Save RGV said the proposed transfer would affect the refuge’s ecological connectivity.
Bekah Hinojosa of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network said residents have raised concerns about SpaceX operations near sensitive habitat.
The lawsuit comes as SpaceX continues to expand its South Texas launch operations at its Boca Chica site. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a final environmental approval in May 2025 allowing the company to increase annual Starship launches at the site from five to as many as 25.
SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.
Plaintiffs said they would consider an alternative land exchange if it provides equal or greater conservation value.
