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CBP commissioner defends $46bn Big Bend border wall amid court-ordered pause

Rodney Scott argues the project is justified despite landowner and environmental opposition, while the administration asks the Supreme Court to lift a construction pause.

Updated Oct 23, 2026 · 12:18 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott defended the $46bn Big Bend wall project as justified.[The Guardian · Associated Press]
  • Opponents, including a bipartisan coalition of landowners, businesses and environmentalists, call the project a waste of taxpayer money.[The Guardian · Associated Press]
  • A judge ordered a construction pause earlier this month, and the administration has asked the Supreme Court to lift it.[The Guardian · Associated Press]
  • The administration says it is building about 12 miles of wall a week, and the Supreme Court's response to the pause request is unknown.[The Guardian · Associated Press]

Key facts

  • Rodney Scott, commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection, defended the $46bn wall project in Texas's Big Bend region.[The Guardian · Associated Press]
  • A bipartisan coalition of landowners, local businesses and environmentalists views the project as a waste of taxpayer money that could be destructive to the region.[The Guardian · Associated Press]
  • The Trump administration says it is building about 12 miles of border wall a week.[The Guardian · Associated Press]
  • A judge ordered a pause on border wall construction in the Big Bend region earlier this month, citing a likelihood of serious, irreparable harm to plaintiffs without an injunction.[The Guardian · Associated Press]
  • The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to lift the order pausing construction.[The Guardian · Associated Press]

What remains uncertain

  • Whether the Supreme Court will lift the construction pause is unknown, since the administration's request is pending.[The Guardian · Associated Press]
  • The project's justification and the coalition's view of it as wasteful are disputed; the reporting presents both positions without resolving them.[The Guardian · Associated Press]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.