{"id":6051,"date":"2026-08-04T06:38:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T06:38:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=6051"},"modified":"2026-08-04T06:38:06","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T06:38:06","slug":"crews-building-trump-border-wall-in-drought-hit-new-mexico-ordered-to-stop-drilling-wells-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=6051","title":{"rendered":"Crews building Trump border wall in drought-hit New Mexico ordered to stop drilling wells"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-14sl0e4\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"224d75b4-3e30-4d15-924d-1ded329362ef\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Border wall well construction\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/978061f4c2b5d64e6c68040b9dcbdadde8d327ed\/0_0_2813_2118\/master\/2813.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"350.1137575542126\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Construction crews drill wells for border wall construction in Lua county, New Mexico, last month.<\/span> Photograph: Russell Johnson\/AP<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"224d75b4-3e30-4d15-924d-1ded329362ef\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Construction crews drill wells for border wall construction in Lua county, New Mexico, last month.<\/span> Photograph: Russell Johnson\/AP<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">Crews building Trump border wall in drought-hit New Mexico ordered to stop drilling wells<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-1xpojbf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>Residents and farmers say contractors have tapped border aquifers that threaten water supply for those nearby<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Construction crews building a border wall in New Mexico were ordered to stop drilling new wells after ranchers said that pumping groundwater to produce concrete could threaten their livestock amid a severe drought.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The order comes as crews across the southern border race to complete one of Donald Trump\u2019s highest domestic priorities \u2013 barriers that span four states and received over $46bn in federal funding. Controversies have sprouted up in Texas and California, and border-town residents and environmentalists have reported a wide variety of issues with construction.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">At a public <a href=\"https:\/\/zoom.us\/rec\/play\/9YVfa8lFZOtptyswoFrUqU1HcL15Z0ScM1C9UyTN1JB5Y9S5921hWnAGB0MLFaMtzJBTy-d3vjVcHp1O.mJwS9fbDylrX3NN_?accessLevel&amp;canPlayFromShare=true&amp;from=share_recording_detail&amp;continueMode=true&amp;oldStyle=true&amp;componentName=rec-play&amp;originRequestUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fzoom.us%2Frec%2Fshare%2F318EYXqZ7WtYitAvmceVQy72Zg_XhjT-mnJps074z7QOJopj2ElGXel3CMtGyAmI.089sEvsxI6lWPC1r&amp;fbclid=IwY2xjawTeCdNleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE3SmhPVFU1Zk1sTmtpd2tmc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHlE8rqGOhsKPqGfbHLO74f5RknmvLSnrWCNMAF8zjL_vYfT8KjRqLTuU0ilZ_aem_OOj7eE4B6hjdEUp1YGVTXg\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">meeting<\/a> in July, ranchers said they were noticing unmonitored tapping of border aquifers that threatened the water for those nearby.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cIt would put us in an immediate catastrophe and having to do something with our livestock. I mean, it could potentially put some people out of business, us included,\u201d said Russell Johnson, a cattle rancher whose property runs along the border.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Johnson raised the issue at the public meeting after noticing an industrial well, which drilling crews told him would pump 300 gallons a minute, on land he leases for grazing. Johnson has roughly 12 wells across his ranch, which pump between three and seven gallons a minute.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cWhatever they do on that well affects everybody in this basin,\u201d one rancher said in the meeting. He added that, from his conversation with border patrol, he believed that \u201cthey really don\u2019t even understand what an aquifer is\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection told the AP on Monday that border wall contractors in New Mexico have been instructed to stop drilling new wells.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cCBP is committed to working collaboratively with local landowners to ensure that construction activities do not adversely impact their water needs,\u201d said CBP in a statement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Previously, CBP, which oversees border wall construction, has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.krqe.com\/news\/new-mexico\/luna-county-ranchers-worried-about-water-supply-as-feds-drill-water-for-border-wall\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">said water is needed<\/a> to produce concrete, build roads, construct barriers and control dust at construction sites. New Mexico\u2019s office of the state engineer, which monitors and approves wells across the state, told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wbur.org\/hereandnow\/2026\/07\/10\/new-mexico-border-wall-aquifers\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">NPR<\/a> last month it counted at least six wells under development along the border, and that none had the necessary permits required by state law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The office cautioned there could be more. Staff visited two wells in July and reported they were pumping 200 gallons per minute.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cAll non-tribal wells in New Mexico, whether they are drilled on state or federal land, must have permits from the state engineer before they can be drilled or water can be pumped from them,\u201d the office of the state engineer said in a statement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-mexico-border\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US-Mexico border<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/us-politics\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US politics<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/us-news\/usimmigration\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">US immigration<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/environment\/water\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Water<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Crews%20building%20Trump%20border%20wall%20in%20drought-hit%20New%20Mexico%20ordered%20to%20stop%20drilling%20wells&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/aug\/03\/trump-border-wall-new-mexico-wells?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2F2026%2Faug%2F03%2Ftrump-border-wall-new-mexico-wells&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=us-news\/2026\/aug\/03\/trump-border-wall-new-mexico-wells\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-1kq7f60\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Construction crews drill wells for border wall construction in Lua county, New Mexico, last month. Photograph: Russell Johnson\/AP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":6053,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-us-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6051","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6051"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6054,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6051\/revisions\/6054"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}