Posted on 01/21/2008 6:49:30 PM PST by Lorianne
Leaders in a small Texas border city said Wednesday that they felt blindsided after learning that a judge had ordered public land turned over temporarily to the federal government as it works on a fence along the border with Mexico.
U.S. District Judge Alia Moses Ludlum ordered Eagle Pass to surrender 233 acres of city-owned land. The Justice Department had sued for access to the land Monday. Ludlum's ruling came the same day, before the city could muster a challenge.
The Homeland Security Department is trying to build 370 miles of border fence by the end of the year. A law signed by President Bush in October and supported by both of Texas' U.S. senators mandated a total of 700 miles of fence along the border.
The government had warned the city, which opposes the fence, that it would sue under eminent domain laws to secure access to the land. The judge's order, issued in the Texas Western District Court, Del Rio division, said the United States was entitled to possession or control of the property for 180 days.
"Well, that seems a little heavy-handed," Eagle Pass Mayor Chad Foster said Wednesday.
Foster is chairman of the Texas Border Coalition, a group of border mayors, city officials and business leaders who oppose the government's border fence plans and have complained that they haven't had enough input on the effects of the fence on their communities.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
My family had to give up private land for Lake Rayburn in Texas. Happens more and more as our population increases. I don’t mind public land being used to build a fence. Maybe then some of us can hold onto our private land
As harsh as it may sound, this sounds like a perfect use of eminent domain.
National security? Sure.
Build the Fence!
Agreed.
Build the fence and they won”t come !!!!!
BUILD DUNCAN HUNTER’S FENCE and ENFORCE THE LAW!
Me too.
I wonder if, to a certain degree, some of the politicians in these border towns WANT the illegals here.
Once that fence goes up and the numbers of illegals goes down, they will have to find revenue to replace what the illegals are spending in town.
Just a thought.
This is the constitutionally legitimate use of eminent domain. I suspect the city opposes the fence because it is an enclave of Mexican nationals. Life is about to become inconvenient for the illegals in town.
“The Homeland Security Department is trying to build 370 miles of border fence by the end of the year.”
Yeah, right. I will believe it when I see it. I also want the double fence that was originally planned; not some stupid little white picket fence with a sign that reads “Don’t Trespass”.
I vote with the folks who say we build the fence so that Eagle Pass is left on the Mexican side.
See how they like being real Mexicans.
Ummm, maybe we could all take up a collection for them loosing public land, wait....its Puuuuuuuublic land.Then didn’t we all pay for that, kinda like our fedral taxes are supporting the illegals they keep waving in.
Yea, they love the narco/ human traffickers so much they must be afraid of missin’ some graft.If they so love THAT country, give them a piece of it.
I wonder how many of the politicians are illegal?
As the Texas population grows, there will be a need for more water supply/lakes, which requires more land.
In the last session, the legislature authorized the study of 15 new lake locations.
I'm still looking for someone to crunch the numbers on how many acres will be required for TTC versus acres required for lakes.
my Grandfather gave up 40,000 acres for a lake to help the Erie canal have enough water. These chumps can suck it up and let the fence be built.
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