The Center for Biological Diversity and the Texas Civil Rights Project filed a lawsuit Tuesday against U.S. Customs and Border Protection, alleging the agency failed to release public records related to proposed border wall construction in the Big Bend region of Texas.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, seeks documents under the Freedom of Information Act, including emails, memos, maps and data tied to potential wall construction along the Rio Grande.
Advocates say a border wall in the region would restrict public access to the river and harm wildlife, outdoor recreation and the local economy.
“This lawsuit seeks to expose the federal government’s plans to rip away the livelihoods of rural Texas families with a wall that no one here wants,” said Laiken Jordahl, national public lands advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity.
Rochelle M. Garza, president of the Texas Civil Rights Project, said border wall construction would harm communities and called for transparency in federal planning efforts.
The groups’ lawsuit follows federal actions in October 2025 and February 2026, when the Department of Homeland Security issued waivers allowing border wall construction to proceed while bypassing certain environmental, cultural and procurement laws. The waivers apply to areas including Big Bend Ranch State Park.
Federal officials have since awarded construction contracts for the region, and local reporting has indicated survey activity inside both Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park. Residents have also reported crews placing survey stakes along portions of the Rio Grande.
Customs and Border Protection has released and revised planning maps multiple times, at one point showing barriers along accessible stretches of the river in both parks. Following public backlash from local officials, residents and business leaders, updated maps removed some wall segments and instead referenced “detection technology,” without providing details.
The agency has said border infrastructure in the region remains in the planning stages, raising concerns among advocates that construction could proceed without additional public input or congressional approval.
The lawsuit also seeks records supporting the designation of the Big Bend Sector as an area of high illegal entry. According to the filing, the sector accounts for about 1.3% of apprehensions along the Southwest border despite covering roughly a quarter of the U.S.-Mexico boundary.
The organizations submitted their FOIA request to Customs and Border Protection on March 6 but said the agency has not responded within the 20-business-day timeframe required under federal law.
More than 130 organizations, outfitters and rural Texas businesses recently urged Congress to block funding for border wall construction in the Big Bend region.
Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park together protect more than 1.1 million acres along the Rio Grande, including sections designated as a Wild and Scenic River. Advocates warn that construction of a border wall through the region could permanently alter one of the most remote and ecologically intact landscapes in the country.
