Judge allows transfer of wildlife refuge land to SpaceX

newsSep 22, 2026371,545

U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. on Monday declined to block a land swap that would transfer more than 700 acres of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge to SpaceX, clearing the way for the exchange to proceed. The Fish and Wildlife Service approved the deal in June under which SpaceX would surrender 683 acres it owns in exchange for the federal refuge parcels; maps show the refuge land SpaceX would acquire sits closer to the company’s launchpad near the U.S.-Mexico border. The agency’s final environmental assessment said the swap would cause no significant impact and represented a “net conservation benefit” and improved landscape-scale habitat connectivity. Plaintiffs including the Center for Biological Diversity and tribal groups sued and sought a preliminary injunction; Judge Rodriguez said they offered “relatively weak” evidence that the property would suffer degradation during the lawsuit. Laiken Jordahl of the Center for Biological Diversity called the swap a gift of public lands and vowed continued litigation, and opponents say the exchange risks further loss of access and ecological harm around Starbase. The judge also wrote that blocking the swap now would impose hardship on SpaceX’s development plans and contractual milestones.

Alt National Park Service

@altnps.bsky.social

A federal court has denied a request to halt the SpaceX land transfer. The Trump administration approved a deal giving SpaceX 715 acres of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge in exchange for 683 acres of SpaceX-owned land.

131218d ago

Alt National Park Service534

That means the transfer could move forward while the larger lawsuit continues. Transferring these protected public lands to SpaceX will further fragment critical wildlife habitat and threaten species including ocelots, shorebirds, and northern aplomado falcons.

Chris⚖️Justice186

Crime after crime. No Justice. Thx to Republicans

taemakar87

Wow, I really hate these people.

No Kings77

He doesn’t care about our national lands. He will give Elon whatever he asks for. It’s just a transaction to him.

sonoransage.bsky.social71

As a birder who had the chance to see incredible wildlife in TX refuges, I’m infuriated that one bloated man baby can just hand off our nation’s irreplaceable treasures to one of his pals. They aren’t his to destroy, and yet…

Yo Soy Azul...40

National Lands are formed by Congress Correct? So... How the Fuck can this Lying Man Child Felon Con Man just give OUR Lands Away to the Highest bidder by himself? Pls Somebody tell me?

Quoting this

The Desert Veteran12

Once again the Ultra Rich, this time it's Elon Musk, get to do whatever they want to do without anyone stopping them. This needs to STOP‼️ Now Musk will be able to destroy public land & disrupt wildlife for GREED.

Allyship7

Texas needs to get Albanian and wake up.

✦✧✦ 𝕁. 𝔽𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕚𝕤 𝔽𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 ✧✦✧5

Y'all remember when Musk-supporting dipshits were adamant that he was working towards a greener future with his electric cars? When even sanctimonious public "intellectuals" like Niel deGrasse Tyson were defending him for that reason? Yeah.

Debra3

TEXANS, ARE YOU PISSED YET?!?!?

Renee 💙2

This can't be real life 🤬

🏳️‍🌈Alice🌒🌕🌘King 🏳️‍🌈2

This is complete bullshit! This is our land NOT dementia Donnie’s or Musks 🤬

Luke Ontario

@coolhand.bsky.social

Allowing temporary transfer of an ocelot refuge to a rocket company is an excellent example of how our judicial system plays into “too fucking late”

10518d ago

Luke Ontario24

Like oh don’t worry, we will give it back to the ocelots if you decide against us 🔥 💀

Oggie3

Those poor kitties. Dead kitties, by now

connie2

fucking heLL remember eloN’s last major explosion was an environmental and wildlife disaster i am 🤬👺

Steve Herman

@newsguy.bsky.social

A federal judge has ruled against environmental and wildlife conservation groups trying to prevent a land exchange in Texas between SpaceX and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. www.texastribune.org/2026/09/21/t...

2717d ago

Quoting this

Khashoggi's Ghost88

They'll sell off our public land just like they sell off our private data. The only question is who is profiting from it.

Melissa Jo Peltier19

They are the bulldozers & annihilators of the apocalypse.

Lexi "Pro-Democracy" 💙

@lexi6toes.bsky.social

Judge won't block Trump administration from giving SpaceX acres of wildlife refuge in land swap 🤬 TEXAS VOTE BLUE while you still have some land left! #VoteBlue #Texas #pinks #Blues @ginafortexas.bsky.social @jamestalarico.bsky.social @texasdemocrats.bsky.social apnews.com/article/spac...

1518d ago

Veronica 🇺🇸 🇮🇹 🇺🇦 🇳🇴 🇲🇽 🇩🇪 🇨🇦 🍁 🇸🇪 🇵🇷

@vero1986.bsky.social

Judge won’t block Trump administration from giving SpaceX acres of wildlife refuge in land swap. U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. declined to block a land swap that allows SpaceX to acquire more than 700 acres of a federal wildlife refuge. www.yahoo.com/news/us/arti...

1618d ago

Chas11371

My gut tells me this “land Swap” is a colossal mistake. Musk is not a visionary. He doesn’t understand the first thing about wetland management or the necessity of mangroves in preventing coastal erosion.

Sam Stribling1

And the hits just keep coming.

Kevin☮️🌎☀️🌕⭐️🌈🌊1

Are they going to move all of the wildlife currently inhabiting the refuge to the new "land"? I think not.

Randy Fair

@southerngayteacher.bsky.social

“The swap amounts to a gift of public lands to SpaceX, ‘clearing the way for bulldozers to tear into this wildlife refuge as soon as next week and turn a public treasure into a private payday.’” - Laiken Jordahl, spokesperson - the Center for Biological Diversity www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

1518d ago

sundowner01.bsky.social4

No - they cannot give our public lands - this is horrendous. Unfortunately it will get worse until we can get these jerks out of office. They will stretch us to the limit.

Freedom fighter😢❤️😢2

Tell Musk to take it to Mars...

Quoting this

jeanie31199.bsky.social2

What do they need to do to PROVE it. Show the dead carcasses? Write it in their blood?

John Robinson

@jrobin.bsky.social

A Trump-appointed judge approves the swap of land between a Trump-appointed billionaire and Trump-led government. Yep, it sounds on the up-and-up. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/21/c...

618d ago

Hellishchildren

@hellishchildren.bsky.social

September 21, 2026 Judge says Trump can gift 715 acres of wildlife refuge to SpaceX. The bulldozers could be rolling by next week. A wildlife preservation group releases young ocelot cats in the refuge.

817d ago

The Denver Post

@denverpost.com

A federal judge on Monday refused to block the Trump administration from giving SpaceX more than 700 acres of wildlife refuge as part of a land swap in Texas, while environmental groups vowed to continue their legal challenge.

718d ago

My Password is Louvre

@bmceuen.bsky.social

I want the next dem president to use eminent domain and seize every piece of property musk owns and turn them all into parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Except for the SpaceX property, i suppose. That can go to nasa

1117d ago

Terri Langford

@tlangford.bsky.social

Exchange of land between SpaceX and federal refuge in Texas OK’d despite conservationists’ objections www.texastribune.org/2026/09/21/t...

318d ago

Climate, Ecology, War & More: Dr. Glen Barry BigEarthData.ai

@bigearthdata.ai

US judge declines to block transfer of wildlife refuge land to Musk's SpaceX ->The Guardian | More on "SpaceX land swap wildlife refuge" at BigEarthData.ai | #MuskRat #WildlifeRefuge #SpaceX #Land

618d ago

sherri 11/07

@17x2lizards.bsky.social

“Trump & Burgum are gifting our public lands to SpaceX, clearing the way for bulldozers to tear into this wildlife refuge as soon as next week, turn a public treasure into a private payday,” public lands advocate at the Center, said referring to Doug Burgum who oversees US Fish and Wildlife

317d ago

barbie68.bsky.social

@barbie68.bsky.social

Judge Allows Transfer of Land in Wildlife Refuge to SpaceX, for Now - The New York Times

118d ago

Jay

@jaylboh.bsky.social

Sure, let things continue while it works its way through the courts. Haven’t seen that approach backfire awfully before. 😩 apnews.com/article/spac...

217d ago

3 sources

nytimes.comJudge Allows Transfer of Land in Wildlife Refuge to SpaceX, for Now (Gift Article)theguardian.comUS judge declines to block transfer of wildlife refuge land to Musk’s SpaceX apnews.comJudge won't block Trump administration from giving SpaceX acres of wildlife refuge in land swap

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Judge allows transfer of wildlife refuge land to SpaceX

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