Thread: Troops remove razor wire from the Texas border and head home

Razor wire quietly taken down in Laredo, but border wall looms large

By Julia Wallace, LMTonline.com / Laredo Morning Times
Published 7:55 am CST, Friday, December 7, 2018

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Photo: Danny Zaragoza/Laredo Morning Times


Concertina wire that had been put up along the border in Laredo three weeks ago was quietly taken down Wednesday night. But the prospect of Congress funding new sections of a permanent wall still looms large here.

"After the valley, we're next," Rep. Henry Cuellar told Laredo Morning Times.

Eight miles of fencing is in the process of being put up in Starr County. Next on the Department of Homeland Security's list is Zapata County, and they're lined up to get very little, Cuellar said. There are plans for mile or so of fencing to go up in California and Arizona too.

"But the big one after Starr is Webb County," Cuellar said.

DHS has plans to tackle Webb County in two phases, constructing a total of about 130 miles of fencing along almost its entire border.

READ ALSO: Military prepares for caravan, barbed concertina wire placed at Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge

None of this is funded yet, but this topic will continue to be a battleground in Congress over the coming weeks.

Cuellar, together with 11 colleagues in the House of Representatives, penned a letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer last week after he had said that $1.6 billion was the starting point for negotiations on border wall funding. President Donald Trump wanted $5 billion.

House Democrats, meanwhile, were starting negotiations at $0, Cuellar said.

"As Members of Congress who represent constituents who live and work along the U.S. southern border, we write to express our alarm and opposition to your comments that $1.6 billion for a physical wall along the border is the starting negotiation position for Democrats," the letter to Schumer reads. "Any appropriations for a border wall would have unequivocally deleterious economic, diplomatic, and environment effects on the region.

"We believe the Democrats should oppose all funding for a physical wall along the U.S.-Mexico border in a FY 2019 Appropriations package."

Schumer called Cuellar demanding that he retract the statement, according to a report by Politico. Cuellar did not do so.

Schumer and other Senate Democrats argued that the media was misconstruing this $1.6 billion starting point, that it was meant to fund border security, not a wall.

Nevertheless, he seemed to back off the hardline.

On Thursday, Congress averted a partial shutdown, funding the federal government until Dec. 21. Trump is expected to sign the measure.

The funding for the wall, however, is up in the air for the next two weeks.

Cuellar said that Republicans are pushing hard to secure this funding before Democrats take over the House in January. It will be much harder to pass at that point, he said.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who will likely be the next speaker of the House, said Thursday that she would not negotiate on wall funding, and suggested that Republicans just extend current border security funding.

"Hopefully we can reach a compromise that works for everyone," Cuellar said.

He believes that if anything, they should be funding increased technology at ports of entry and bonuses for Border Patrol agents, whose numbers are waning across the county. There are only 18,000-19,000 BP agents currently, and the U.S. needs to encourage them to stay, Cuellar said.

RELATED: City of Laredo-owned land eyed for border wall

When the military came to put up concertina wire in Laredo, officials already knew that the "migrant caravan" — the thousands of Central American immigrants traveling north to seek asylum in the U.S. — were already headed to California.

Cuellar said that it cost millions of dollars to bring the military down here, with their materials, transportation and food. Not to mention, the 180 members of the National Guard that are already stationed in Laredo could have been utilized, Cuellar noted.

The military installed the wire during the day, to much fanfare and attention from the press. The president was sending a message down south, Cuellar said.

When the military took down the wire, it was in the middle of the night, done very quietly, he said.

Julia Wallace may be reached at 956-728-2543 or jwallace@lmtonline.com

https://www.lmtonline.com/local/arti...t-13449442.php

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

The military installed the wire during the day, to much fanfare and attention from the press. The president was sending a message down south, Cuellar said.

When the military took down the wire, it was in the middle of the night, done very quietly, he said.

Yeah, some of us take note.

Put our Navy and Coast Guard on that river.

Blast them with water canons and keep them out!

Originally Posted by Judy

Yes, the President has the "authority" to secure the border, but he does not have authority to spend money to do it that hasn't been authorized and funded. He can secure the border with authorized funds, including military funds, if to cure or deal with a national emergency or counter illegal drugs.

The "Proclamation" is not an easement. It's an instruction to the locals that they can't obstruct the 60 feet. There's nothing in the "Proclamation" that authorizes securing the border, building fences, building walls or installing razor wire. The "Proclamation" is to prevent construction or impediments in this area by the local community that would interfere with customs activities on goods coming in or out through the border. This Proclamation has nothing to do with securing the border against illegal aliens. It's actually the opposite of what you think it is, the whole purpose of it is to keep it open for unobstructed free-flow of goods passage and avoid anyone besides the federal government collecting tariffs, imposts and so forth on such goods for entry purposes.

You should keep looking for another different document if you think there is one, the one you posted doesn't do or accomplish what you're claiming.

Earlier you said the town controlled everything right up to the border through city ordinances, etc.. The proclamation clearly shows that is not true. According to the proclamation, the federal government controls 60 feet of the ground on our side of the border.

Originally Posted by MW

Earlier you said the town controlled everything right up to the border through city ordinances, etc.. The proclamation clearly shows that is not true. According to the proclamation, the federal government controls 60 feet of the ground on our side of the border.

No I didn't.

This is what I said:

Judy wrote:

Actually cities have total control over their city owned property and have all types of zoning laws that apply to other properties throughout their territory. Unless the federal government has an easement for that section of the fence area with the rights to install the razor wire or other protective defensive covers, the city probably does have the authority to ask them to remove it. The federal government would need to do an eminent domain action to secure an easement that allows the installation of the wire and they should do that if this area is a vital part of our border security. There's a lot more that would need to be known to know whether the military had the authority to install the wire. My guess is no, otherwise, they wouldn't have removed it.

More Than 300 Migrants Surrender to Texas Border Patrol Agents in One Day

The show is over. Back to normal, as in a largely unsecured border that according to news, allowed over a hundred thousand people to cross and be apprehended in two monrths. This does not include the tens of thousands or possibly hundreds of thousands more foreign citizens who crossed illegally without apprehension.

Originally Posted by stoptheinvaders

No idea why you think it has nothing to do with illegals, drugs being smuggled across the border.


Whereas, it is necessary for the public welfare that a strip of land lying along the boundary line between the United States and the Republic of Mexico be reserved from the operation of the public land laws and kept free from obstruction as a protection against the smuggling of goods between the United States and said Republic;

Because it didn't. It has to do with customs inspections for the goods. But if you think it authorizes the military to install razor wire on city-owned property to stop illegal aliens, go ahead and think it. That's fine with me.

Originally Posted by GeorgiaPeach

The show is over. Back to normal, as in a largely unsecured border that according to news, allowed over a hundred thousand people to cross and be apprehended in two monrths. This does not include the tens of thousands or possibly hundreds of thousands more foreign citizens who crossed illegally without apprehension.

Yes, no one can bring attention to our issue like Trump. Media never cared how many illegal aliens were pouring over our borders until they're pouring over our borders against Trump's Executive Orders.

Originally Posted by Judy

Yes, no one can bring attention to our issue like Trump.

He's gotta have that attention, he thinks....
Negative attention is better than no attention at all.