Wall Faces a Barrier in Texas: Landowner Lawsuits

[struggle4progress]

By RON NIXON
MAY 7, 2017

... More than 90 lawsuits involving landowners opposing the federal seizure of their property in South Texas remain open from 2008. The property owners have the support of many Texas politicians in a state where land ownership has an almost mythic resonance, and their opposition to a border wall could delay any construction by years while lawsuits wind through the court system.

Mr. Trump and John F. Kelly, the Homeland Security secretary, have said they can build a wall in 24 months, even though Congress did not include any funding for construction in its latest spending bill. Fresh legal challenges, along with the existing ones, make that timetable highly unlikely.

The landowners’ strategy is clear: Use the courts to forestall construction and try to outlast the tenure of Mr. Trump.

... those closest to the perceived dangers of illegal immigration are providing perhaps the most formidable opposition to the president’s plans. They are well aware that their land has become a major point of transit for drug traffickers and smugglers, and some have been victims of crime. But they also believe that the border is already heavily patrolled, by drones, federal agents and the local authorities, and contend that a wall would have mainly a symbolic value at the cost of their land ...

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/07/us/politics/trump-wall-faces-barrier-in-texas.html

[gratuitous]

1. By the way, where exactly is this fence/wall/whatever supposed to go?

I'm guessing that Mexico isn't going to let us build in their country, and building it in the middle of the Rio Grande doesn't sound very practical. That leaves it on the U.S. side of the border. Why is President Trump so hell-bent on giving away the Rio Grande?

[duncang]

3. One section is right through

The middle of a golf course neighborhood. Part of the subdivision will be on the south side the other on the U.S. side. One family's property where the already have a wall installed house turned up on the other side of the wall. And they watched as their house burned to the ground because the fire department had problems getting to it.

And he said during the campaign he wants a solid wall. Which will screw the people even more. When hurricanes come even the wall with gaps can get clogged up and cause more flooding on the U.S. side. If they put a solid wall like he said the people on the U.S. side they will have disastrous flooding. There will be no water run off.

For someone who says he is such great real estate developer water run off and detention is one of the first basic things you have to consider. You can tell he never even got involved with any construction.

[mwooldri]

2. You know the crazy thing? Some of these people actually voted FOR #45.

#45 says he's going to "build the wall". The landowners vote for him. He goes "building the wall" and then somehow they want the wall... anywhere other than their land.

My proposal for those who object (but voted for #45)... build the wall... on the US side of the border, and put them into Mexico.

[raccoon]

4. Yep. No sympathy for them. They asked for it, they got it. nt