Border wall crews ordered to stop drilling wells in drought-stricken New Mexico

Published August 3, 2026 10:07pm ET



The Trump administration ordered construction crews to stop drilling industrial wells in New Mexico, currently in the throes of a drought, after local farmers complained it could put them out of business.

The construction of a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border has been one of President Donald Trump’s main priorities since he launched his first presidential campaign, and in his second administration, he secured $46 billion in federal funding to complete it. Construction crews building the wall, from Caddell Construction Co. and Fisher Industries, overseen by Customs and Border Protection, are reliant on water to mix concrete, which is in turn used for roads, dust suppression, and the wall itself. Construction crews had sourced water locally until a stop order from the White House, which came in response to local cattle ranchers who warned that the amount of water being taken was unsustainable.

Already a print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.