The pause on some border construction in the Big Bend region has been extended through September 30, but business owners, landowners and law enforcement leaders say critical questions remain. Edward R. Murrow Award-winning podcast host and Emmy-winning investigative journalist Yami Virgin also examines how U.S. citizen Brian Morales was deported to Mexico after a Texas traffic stop, and the legal fight that brought him home to Austin.

A pause on construction at Big Bend National Park has been extended while both sides negotiate next steps for border security in the area.

On Friday, the judge said there will be no ground movement or new activity in Big Bend National Park until at least Sept. 15, after plaintiffs and the federal government agreed to the extended pause in court. Now, that pause has been extended 15 more days until September 30.

Texas Border Watch has been following this story closely, as business owners, tribal members of the Lipan Apache, and local leaders argue the proposed project could harm their community.

Attorneys for the federal government stated that no border wall is planned inside the park, but vehicle barriers and other technology—covering 17 non-contiguous miles—are still under consideration. The government’s attorneys explained that work completed so far was "pre-construction vegetation clearing and surveying," which drew pushback from residents who believe the work already impacts sacred spaces and ancestral lands.

"The fight's not over, but one good thing that came out of this is we have an absolute commitment that there will be no wall in Big Bend National Park," said Attorney Dick DeGuerin, representing plaintiffs. "The judge actually asked the lawyers for the government what is planned, and they were not able to say. And we want to make sure that the no wall in the Big Bend Park extends to other areas of the Big Bend."

Christina Hernandez, a plaintiff, said, "I think that there's a lot of questions that have to be answered by CBP, not just to their attorneys but also to the public. And I think this is a step to encourage them to start having conversations with those of us who are in the region."

The court’s decision allows for more time to discuss specific plans and impacts before any further steps are taken in the park.

Border reimbursement funds

Texas is set to receive $7.5 billion in federal reimbursement for border security costs spent during the Biden administration, as confirmed by the White House.

The state originally requested $11 billion to cover expenses for programs such as Operation Lone Star and National Guard deployments, with the federal package containing a total of $10 billion for all states.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn spoke out about delays in the reimbursement process in the Texas Tribune, pointing out that the funding was approved nearly a year ago, but applications took a while to open.

A second grant, managed by the Department of Justice and worth $3.5 billion, will also be distributed to state and local governments, with applications accepted in June and July.

With the Texas Legislature set to reconvene at the start of 2027, lawmakers will need to know when this money will arrive as they plan for the next budget.

Federal truck-driver training crackdown

Federal agencies have launched a nationwide effort to address fraud in commercial truck driving schools, which includes an emergency shutdown of nearly 300 schools across 23 states.

According to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, "they have unlicensed instructors. So you have instructors who aren't certified who are allegedly training the new truck drivers to operate on American roadways."

The Department of Justice, Department of Transportation and Department of Homeland Security are also conducting audits of third-party commercial driver’s license testers and state oversight programs. Officials say these actions are aimed at improving public safety and reducing fraud across the trucking industry.

Texas Department of Public Safety leaders delivered a border update, saying lower migrant crossing numbers have not eliminated the work being done through Operation Lone Star.

DPS reported 1,045 criminal arrests connected to border operations in May, including 63 arrests involving human smuggling. Those cases resulted in 134 human smuggling charges, according to department leadership.

One of the biggest shifts leaders highlighted involved drugs.

Troopers seized 273 pounds of marijuana in May, but more than 4,000 pounds of methamphetamine.

DPS also reported seizing 547 pounds of cocaine, 31 pounds of heroin and about one pound of fentanyl, which department leaders said represented roughly 203,000 potentially lethal doses.

Officials described the numbers as a shift away from marijuana and toward harder drugs being encountered during border enforcement.

DPS leaders also addressed questions about the department's relationship with federal immigration authorities, saying there can be confusion about what happens after a state trooper makes a traffic stop.

Officials said troopers do not automatically investigate a driver's immigration status during routine stops.

They pointed to a recent Rio Grande Valley case involving a nurse who was initially stopped for a traffic violation. DPS said the woman had a suspended license and was arrested on a state misdemeanor charge. According to department leaders, the trooper did not ask about her immigration status.

DPS said immigration authorities became involved later in the jail intake process, eventually resulting in an ICE detainer.

Officials said other encounters can become more complicated when a driver cannot be identified through state databases. In those cases, DPS said troopers may make an arrest rather than issue a citation under a name and date of birth they cannot verify.

DPS said fingerprints taken during the jail booking process can then allow authorities to establish a person's identity and determine whether federal immigration issues or outstanding criminal matters exist.

Department leaders said the distinction is important as questions continue over how state law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement intersect along the border.

Heavy machinery is moving out of Big Bend National Park just days after bulldozers and excavators sparked outrage and CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott traveled to the region to see the controversial border project for himself. But the fight is far from over.

In this episode of the Edward R. Murrow Award-winning podcast “Immigration Crisis: The Fight for the Southern Border,” Emmy-winning Investigative Reporter Yami Virgin, who has covered the southern border for more than 20 years, Photojournalist Paul Sanchez and Investigative Producer Natalie Medina, examine what changed, why some Texans support the project, why others are fighting to protect Big Bend, and what could happen next as the battle heads to U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia’s federal courtroom in San Antonio.

“We are just heartbroken.” That was the reaction from the National Parks Conservation Association after bulldozers moved through Big Bend National Park, and now the work has suddenly stopped. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott says he has paused all construction activity inside the park while he heads to Big Bend for a personal, on-the-ground evaluation.

In this episode of the Edward R. Murrow winning podcast “Immigration Crisis: The Fight for the Southern Border,” Emmy winning investigative reporter Yami Virgin, Photojournalist Paul Sanchez and Investigative Producer Natalie Medina examine the sudden pause and speak with Cary Dupuy about potentially irreversible impacts to the park, water, wildlife and dark skies as questions remain about what the federal government ultimately plans to build across the Big Bend region.

On this episode of the Edward R. Murrow Award-winning podcast, investigative reporter Yami Virgin takes you to Big Bend, where bulldozers and heavy equipment have arrived as a $1.7 billion border security project moves forward. Republican Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland joins us from the border as questions grow over what will be built. Others along the border question how a road can be carved through the rugged terrain without using explosives in this iconic Texas gem.

Hosted and produced by Yami Virgin. Edited by Paul Sanchez.

Federal border security projects are moving forward across Texas, bringing bulldozers into Big Bend National Park, a cease-and-desist order from the Texas General Land Office in Presidio County and a first border visit for newly confirmed Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

The developments come as the Trump administration pushes ahead with a broader expansion of border infrastructure, while local leaders, environmental groups and some state officials raise concerns about where and how that work is being done.

On this episode of the Edward R. Murrow Award-winning podcast, investigative reporter Yami Virgin examines the flooding that swept away Texas’ floating border barrier, joins Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico on a bipartisan Big Bend border tour, and investigates Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham’s order halting unauthorized federal work on state-managed land tied to the border wall project. Hosted and produced by Yami Virgin. Edited by Paul Sanchez.

Recent flooding along the Rio Grande swept hundreds of federal border buoys from staging and installation areas near Eagle Pass, sending some of the barriers more than 100 miles downriver toward Laredo.

The flooding temporarily disrupted international bridge traffic, raised questions about who was responsible for securing the barriers and left federal contractors working to recover buoys from both sides of the river.

The flooding came as federal officials continued expanding buoy barriers along portions of the Texas-Mexico border.

Video recorded during the flooding showed cylindrical buoys floating down the Rio Grande as people gathered along the Mexican side of the river to watch.

The buoys were floating individually rather than in connected sections, indicating that many had not yet been installed or anchored in the river.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the buoys were under the control of a contractor and had been staged at nearby Shelby Park when rapidly rising water swept them into the river.

As a result of the heavy rains in Eagle Pass, Texas, this week, buoys under the responsibility of control of the contractor that were staged at nearby Shelby Park, were swept into the river due to the fast-rising water. These were not buoys that were already deployed and anchored in the river. CBP is working with its contractor to retrieve these buoys.

Waterborne barriers are intended to create a safer border environment for patrolling agents, as well as deter migrants from attempting to illegally cross the border through dangerous waterways. In addition, they provide effective impedance and denial capabilities that enhance natural barriers and complement land based, steel bollard border wall systems nearby.

Eagle Pass temporarily closed its international bridges because of concerns that the barriers could strike the bridge pillars and cause damage. The bridges reopened after inspections determined they were safe.

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar said local governments had prepared for the flooding and warned federal officials about the potential danger posed by the rising river.

"The CBP, DHS, and the contractors ignored the local communities and look, now they have an embarrassing situation because they didn't listen to the local folks," Cuellar said.

"Do you think that the contractors should face repercussions for that?" Jordan Elder asked.

"Well, you know, absolutely. They should answer why they did not move the buoys to a safer place. They have to answer: what are they going to reimburse the city because bridges were closed down? I think these contractors are paid billions of dollars. I think they definitely have to answer, and I will be asking DHS when they get back to me about, hey, who's going to reimburse the local communities for this situation?"

Images taken after sunrise in Eagle Pass showed individual buoys continuing to move downriver. Other buoys had accumulated in an offshoot of the river, including a large number on the Mexican side.

A federal fund Texas has been waiting on is now open, meaning the state could potentially receive billions of dollars in reimbursement for border security costs.

The fund was allocated in a congressional spending package, referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill, nearly a year ago, but the grant was only recently posted. According to the federal listing, state governments are now being directed to apply for the money through FEMA.

Texas previously asked the federal government to reimburse more than $11 billion in border security costs. State officials said that money was spent during the Biden administration and came out of the state budget.

The grant page lists just under $10 billion in total available funding.

Gov. Greg Abbott has said Texas’ border security costs included Operation Lone Star, border wall construction and maintenance, and personnel costs for the Texas National Guard and Department of Public Safety.

A spokesperson for the governor’s office said the state is looking forward to being fully reimbursed for its border security efforts.