The Trump administration has petitioned the Supreme Court to allow the resumption of border wall construction through the Big Bend region of West Texas, framing the controversial project as a critical element of its anti-immigration security strategy along the Mexican border. The Justice Department filed an emergency application seeking to lift a lower federal judge’s injunction that has successfully halted construction while a multifaceted environmental lawsuit moves through the courts.

Department of Homeland Security proposals for the area involve the installation of vehicle barriers, patrol roads, specialized lighting, and detection technology in and around Big Bend National Park. Critics of the initiative point out that while Big Bend encompasses roughly 805 kilometers (500 miles) of the international border, it reportedly accounts for only about 1 percent of total migrant apprehensions, casting doubt on the necessity of the heavy infrastructure.

The underlying lawsuit, brought by plaintiffs including the Center for Biological Diversity and regional river guides, aims to preserve the fragile local landscape, safeguard a historic church, and challenge the federal authorities' sweeping waivers of environmental and historic preservation laws intended to fast-track the $1.7 billion endeavor. Officials allegedly bypassed standard statutory reviews by declaring the sector a zone of high illegal entry requiring immediate physical intervention.

US District Judge Kathleen Cardone previously issued an injunction halting the project until defendants comply with all applicable statutes, finding that the executive waivers purportedly exceeded statutory authority. In its appeal, the Justice Department urged the high court to intervene, arguing that Congress allegedly granted broad authority to build barriers and waive legal hurdles, though the Supreme Court has yet to issue a response.

Source: www.aljazeera.com