The Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to resume building its border wall in West Texas, including Big Bend National Park, drawing bipartisan pushback from Texas’ outgoing and incoming U.S. senators and a newly elected congresswoman.
The decision, handed down on Nov. 9, paused orders from a U.S. district judge that had halted the controversial construction of roads and barriers across the Big Bend region while a lawsuit against the project continues.
Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, Texas' outgoing senior senator, penned a column for the San Antonio Express-News published Nov. 9, warning that construction could hurt local businesses and pointing to the area's low levels of illegal crossings.
"A border wall is not the
best solution for portions of this environment," Cornyn wrote. "Big Bend deserves border security that reflects the realities of its geography, the input and experience of local law enforcement, and the rights of the people who live there."
The newly elected U.S. senator in Texas to replace Cornyn in January, Democratic Sen.-elect James Talarico, said in a statement that the decision allows "out-of-state contractors to get rich by destroying the crown jewel of Texas."
"We can work with President Trump to fix this broken immigration system without desecrating our sacred land," Talarico said. "Texas voters were clear: end corruption. Don’t mess with Texas."
Rep.-elect Katy Padilla Stout, a Democrat, also spoke out against the decision as her district‚ Texas' 23rd, includes Big Bend National Park.
"No Wall At Big Bend. No Exceptions," she wrote in a statement. "I am ready for this fight. We will Defend the Bend!"
One of the named plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the project — the Center for Biological Diversity — called the decision "horrific."
"They’re signing off on the permanent destruction of the wildest place in Texas, and the theft of a great American river from all of us," said Laiken Jordahl, national public lands advocate at the center, in a statement.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas, based in Austin. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump’s Big Bend border wall ruling draws bipartisan Texas backlash
