Filed Date: April 16, 2026
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding in progress
On April 16, 2026, Friends of the Ruidosa Church and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas challenged the federal government's invocation of sweeping legal waivers to construct a massive border wall. The defendants included the Secretary of Homeland Security, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Plaintiffs alleged that on February 17, 2026, DHS unconstitutionally invoked Section 102(c) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) to waive environmental and historic protection laws, along with dozens of other federal laws⁻. This action was taken to expedite construction of the "Big Bend Wall Project," a barrier spanning over 250 miles along the Rio Grande in Texas's Big Bend region⁻. The complaint alleged that this project would destroy iconic sections of the Rio Grande corridor and represented part of a larger executive program to achieve a complete, cross-continental border barrier⁻. The lawsuit asserted four constitutional claims: violation of the Major Questions Doctrine, violation of the Nondelegation Doctrine, violation of the Take Care Clause, and violation of the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause⁻. The plaintiffs sought comprehensive relief including declaratory and injunctive relief to halt the project, a declaration that the legal waivers were unconstitutional, and attorneys' fees.
This case is ongonig.
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73199706/parties/friends-of-the-ruidosa-church-v-mullin-etal/
Cardone, Kathleen (Texas)
Kumar, Kate Gibson (Texas)
Park, Alana Lani (Texas)
Rynders, Dustin (Texas)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73199706/friends-of-the-ruidosa-church-v-mullin-etal/
Last updated April 20, 2026, 3:06 a.m.
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government
Key Dates
Filing Date: April 16, 2026
Case Ongoing: Yes
Case Details
Other Dockets:
Western District of Texas 3:26-cv-01099
Available Documents:
Case Summary of Friends of the Ruidosa Church v. Mullin etal, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/48106/.