US District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. blocked nothing on Monday. He denied the preliminary injunction sought by environmental and tribal groups, effectively clearing the path for SpaceX to swap its 683 private acres for 715 acres of federal refuge land in South Texas. The ruling allows the Trump administration to execute the deal while the broader lawsuit remains pending.
The land in question sits within the 103,000-acre Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, a stretch spanning four counties along the US-Mexico border. The US Fish and Wildlife Service approved the exchange in June, arguing in its final environmental assessment that the move would yield a 'net conservation benefit' by consolidating holdings and improving habitat connectivity. SpaceX would gain land closer to its Starbase launchpad, consolidating its footprint in the region.
Laiken Jordahl, spokesperson for the Center for Biological Diversity, called the move a concession of public land to a private entity. "These lands hold incredible spiritual, historical and conservation value," he said. "We won’t stop fighting to keep this irreplaceable public wildlife refuge safe from SpaceX bulldozers." The group argues the swap risks ecological degradation in a Gulf Coast region already strained by rocket expansion.
Rodriguez found the plaintiffs' evidence of imminent harm "relatively weak." He noted that while preserving wildlife serves the public interest, the groups failed to prove the property would suffer specific aesthetic or environmental degradation during the lawsuit's pendency. He also warned that blocking the deal could disrupt SpaceX’s contractual obligations and development milestones.
The legal battle is far from over. Environmental groups are continuing their challenge against the exchange, aiming to halt the transfer permanently. For now, SpaceX moves forward, having already incorporated its own local government, Starbase, last year to manage its rapid expansion in the valley.