Friends of the Ruidosa Church, et al. v. Mullin et al, No. 3:26-cv-01099 (W.D. Tex., filed Apr. 16, 2026)
On April 16, 2026, a collective of organizations and individuals including nonprofit Friends of Ruidosa Church, a Big Bend river guide, and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to stop border wall construction in the Big Bend region of Texas. The lawsuit was filed in the wake of several others opposing border wall plans in the region, including a related case, Center for Biological Diversity v. CBP.
The plaintiffs allege the Trump administration unconstitutionally waived dozens of environmental laws to fast-track border wall construction through the Big Bend region and exceeded its power granted by Congress. The complaint also alleges that because Congress did not clearly authorize DHS or CBP to create a complete, cross-continental border-length wall, the DHS secretary’s efforts to do so through serial waivers, and particularly the Big Bend Waiver, violates the major questions doctrine and thus the Constitution’s separation of powers principles.
The Big Bend Waiver authorizes large-scale border wall construction along the north bank of the Rio Grande, and will physically block plaintiffs from being able to reach the river at traditional access points. The complaint asserts that plaintiffs, as members of the public and regular users of the river, are beneficiaries of the public trust and have legitimate expectations of continued, reasonable access to the river.
Plaintiffs filed an amended complaint on July 13, 2026 and a motion for summary judgment on July 17. Defendants filed a cross-motion for summary judgment and opposition to plaintiffs’ motion on August 7. Plaintiffs filed a motion for preliminary injunction on August 17, and the court set an in-person hearing for October 2.
Documents
Counsel: Texas Civil Rights Project | Center for Biological Diversity
Contact: Laiken Jordahl | Center for Biological Diversity | ljordahl@biologicaldiversity.org
Press
- Sandra Sanchez, Second Lawsuit Against Border Wall Construction in Big Bend Region, Border Report, Apr. 16, 2026.
- Laura Romero and Luke Barr, CBP Pauses Big Bend National Park Construction Following Lawsuits Over Border Wall, ABC News, Aug. 17, 2026.
