Texas Economic Development Group Sues Trump Administration Over Big Bend Border Wall Flood Risks

The Presidio Municipal Development District, a West Texas economic development organization, filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday against the Trump administration, claiming that plans to install border barriers and surveillance technology along the Rio Grande will cause dangerous flooding in the Big Bend region. The lawsuit, filed by Democracy Forward, a Washington-based nonprofit, in federal court argues that constructing 30-foot steel bollards embedded in concrete on the existing earthen levees of the Presidio Flood Control Project could compromise the integrity of critical flood-control infrastructure that has protected communities from deadly flash floods in 1978 and 2008.

The suit contends that the Trump administration failed to seek authorization from the Secretary of the Army, as required, to build border barriers along the Presidio Flood Control Project, which is managed by the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission. According to the lawsuit, altering the current levee system poses real risks to local infrastructure, homes, farmland, and agricultural operations. Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, stated that the administration is "recklessly" pushing forward with construction that disregards the harm to affected communities.

The Big Bend region encompasses Presidio, Jeff Davis, and Brewster counties and represents the largest U.S. Border Patrol sector, covering 77 Texas counties and 517 miles of the 1,954-mile U.S.-Mexico border. The Trump administration has characterized the area as having "high illegal entry" and says it wants to close gaps along the entire border, including through installations of sensors and vehicle barriers in Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park. However, U.S. Customs and Border Protection data show that migrant encounters in the Big Bend sector totaled 3,096 in fiscal year 2025—representing only 1.3% of total apprehensions across the entire U.S.-Mexico border and a 74% decline compared to the previous two fiscal years.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson stated that the Trump administration remains in the planning stages regarding where to erect barriers and install technology in the region. The lawsuit reflects bipartisan opposition to the border barrier efforts in Big Bend, which include areas designated as national parks and state parks. The administration has also sent letters to private landowners along the Rio Grande seeking permission to survey land or potentially using eminent domain.