Results 1 to 10 of 10
Like Tree3Likes

Thread: Rough Terrain & Eminent Domain Among Challenges to Border Wall

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Posts
    4,815

    Rough Terrain & Eminent Domain Among Challenges to Border Wall

    Rough Terrain & Eminent Domain Among Challenges to Border Wall

    September 21, 2017 Emily Larsen

    (Emily Larsen, Liberty Headlines) Rough terrain, private property rights, and effective design are among the challenges of securing the US-Mexico border with a wall, identified in a new project by USA Today.
    From USA Today’s border wall investigative project.

    In the series of articles, interactive maps, and mini-documentaries, the newspaper explored the basic logistical issues of building the border wall that was strongly advocated for by President Trump. Crews flew the entire 2,000-mile length over the border with a helicopter, obtained federal records, and talked to ranchers, smugglers, and border patrol agents.

    Besides the political and financial challenge and debate, the proposed wall faces massive construction challenges in terrain and seizing private property to build the wall.

    First, there is the engineering challenge. While 650 miles of the border has a fence or a vehicle barrier, Trump specified during his presidential campaign that he envisioned a wall, not a fence. USA Today explains:
    “Whatever the design, federal bid requirements call for a nearly impenetrable and unclimbable barrier, 20 to 30 feet tall — the height of five men. The wall must be anchored in concrete at least six additional feet underground to prevent tunneling. Its foundation must support pillars every 10 to 30 feet. The structure must be at least 8 inches thick and able to withstand at least 30 minutes of assault by sledgehammer, acetylene torch or power impact tools.

    And it has to remain standing when subjected to winds, floods, earthquakes and other forces of nature. That means anchoring the wall in bedrock, which in some border areas is buried deep beneath river silt or desert dunes.”
    In particularly rugged areas, the desert may be harsh enough that a wall isn’t needed. USA Today talked to the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner, which found people who had died in the desert trying to cross the border. Dozens of them are still unidentified.

    Then, there’s the issue of obtaining the land on which to build the wall.

    Wall and fence construction is much easier in California, Arizona, and New Mexico, where a 60-foot strip next to the border is federal land. But in Texas, a state where 95 percent of land is privately owned, owners’ property goes all the way to the winding Rio Grande River border in many places.
    To build a wall on the Texas-Mexico border, the federal government would have to force landowners to sell their property to the government through eminent domain. The wall would affect nearly 5,000 properties.

    “If they want it, they’re going to take it,” Billy Dyer, and eminent domain attorney, told the newspaper. “The statute that authorized the acquisitions for the border wall is all based on national security and homeland security.”

    “I don’t want to sell my property… It’s mine,” said Aleida Flores Garcia, a homeowner in the town of Los Ebanos in the Rio Grande valley in Texas.

    Since the Secure Border Fence Act of 2006, she’s fought to keep the house that has been in her family for generations. Her property line goes to the Rio Grande.

    Jeremy Bernard, general manager of the River Bend Resort and Golf Club, said the border fence as planned in 2006 would cut through the 18-hole championship golf course.

    Fifteen of the holes would be on the south side of the border, and over 200 of the 340 residents of the golf course would be on the south side of the wall – and many would suddenly have a 30-foot structure in their backyard rather than a beautiful golf course view.

    “Our goal would be to have President Trump come down and play the golf course and see it – he’s a golfer, he owns golf courses – and say ‘President Trump, how would you want to be treated?’” said Bernard.

    But Bernard confesses that when push comes to shove, the resort will cooperate with authorities if it must.

    “At the end of the day, if they hear our plan, they see what we’ve been doing here, and they still want to build a wall, we’re going to support them.”

    Even after a wall is built, there’s doubt on all sides that it will stop illegal border crossings.
    One smuggler noted that the fence is very high – too high to jump. But the smugglers, “polleros,” use homemade ladders.

    “If Trump builds a wall as high as this building, the smugglers will just build a ladder that is even higher,” he anonymously told USA Today in a mini-documentary segment.

    But Trump’s tough stance and rhetoric on immigration is making some planning illegal border crossings think twice. One man said he’s hesitant to cross back over the border to find his daughter.

    “I am afraid they are going to shoot me,” he said. “I am afraid they have their orders. I don’t know if that will really happen, but nevertheless I am very afraid because it’s not the same like before.”

    http://www.libertyheadlines.com/rough-terrain-eminent-domain-among-challenges-border-wall/?AID=7236

  2. #2
    Moderator Beezer's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Posts
    30,909
    All you people who do not want the WALL on your property...so be it.

    They will ALL funnel right through your property and you will be BEGGING for the WALL.

    GET THE WALL FUNDED...GET THE WALL BUILT WHERE WE HAVE NO RESISTANCE.
    ILLEGAL ALIENS HAVE "BROKEN" OUR IMMIGRATION SYSTEM

    DO NOT REWARD THEM - DEPORT THEM ALL

  3. #3
    MW
    MW is offline
    Senior Member MW's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    25,717
    Nothing new here. All of these problems were well known when Trump was campaigning and promising us a massive brick & mortar wall across the entire border. If he had no intention of building the wall or knew it wasn't possible to build it as he envisioned and promised, then he shouldn't have promised it.

    Trump promised us Mexico would fund the wall. Okay, what exactly has he done to that end? NAFTA still exist, which means no tariffs on goods crossing the border, no new border entry fees that I'm aware of. I don't know exactly how many visitors we get daily from Mexico, including those crossing the border to work here daily, but you can bet the number is huge. Why haven't we increased entry fee costs to fund the wall? I fully expected Trump to be more imaginative than he has so far on the funding issue. Surely he didn't expect Mexico to just cut us a check.

    "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" ** Edmund Burke**

    Support our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts athttps://eepurl.com/cktGTn

  4. #4
    Senior Member Judy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    55,883
    Well, MW, it's called the rule of laws. Laws governing treaties, budget, appropriation authorizations and federal construction to name a few that apply to the wall and Mexico paying for it.
    A Nation Without Borders Is Not A Nation - Ronald Reagan
    Save America, Deport Congress! - Judy

    Support our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts at https://eepurl.com/cktGTn

  5. #5
    MW
    MW is offline
    Senior Member MW's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    25,717
    Quote Originally Posted by Judy View Post
    Well, MW, it's called the rule of laws. Laws governing treaties, budget, appropriation authorizations and federal construction to name a few that apply to the wall and Mexico paying for it.
    The time is long past for excuses. The trump administration has the power to increase border entry fees. As for NAFTA, Trump has been President for nine months. Had his administration acted quickly, NAFTA could have been ended months ago. Honestly, I don't think he actually has any intention of ending NAFTA, which means I don't expect any tariffs on goods crossing the border. Trump is probably just using the threat to end NAFTA a a bargining chip to help him in the negotiations.

    I'm sorry, but my expectations of Trump keeping his promises has sunk to an all time low. I'd like to think any reasonable person can understand why.

    "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" ** Edmund Burke**

    Support our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts athttps://eepurl.com/cktGTn

  6. #6
    Senior Member Judy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    55,883
    The time is long past for excuses.
    Like I said in another thread, that meme is tired, and it's not working, either.
    A Nation Without Borders Is Not A Nation - Ronald Reagan
    Save America, Deport Congress! - Judy

    Support our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts at https://eepurl.com/cktGTn

  7. #7
    MW
    MW is offline
    Senior Member MW's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    North Carolina
    Posts
    25,717
    Quote Originally Posted by Judy View Post
    Like I said in another thread, that meme is tired, and it's not working, either.
    And as I said, the excuses aren't working either and they're getting old too.

    "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" ** Edmund Burke**

    Support our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts athttps://eepurl.com/cktGTn

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Posts
    4,815
    Wonder if a surcharge on the billions of $$$$ yearly sent to mexico from monies earned here by illegals could be enforced for wall funds.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Judy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    55,883
    There are no "excuses". Just your narrative.
    A Nation Without Borders Is Not A Nation - Ronald Reagan
    Save America, Deport Congress! - Judy

    Support our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts at https://eepurl.com/cktGTn

  10. #10
    Senior Member Judy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    55,883
    Quote Originally Posted by artist View Post
    Wonder if a surcharge on the billions of $$$$ yearly sent to mexico from monies earned here by illegals could be enforced for wall funds.
    Not without Congress.
    A Nation Without Borders Is Not A Nation - Ronald Reagan
    Save America, Deport Congress! - Judy

    Support our FIGHT AGAINST illegal immigration & Amnesty by joining our E-mail Alerts at https://eepurl.com/cktGTn

Similar Threads

  1. Texas Residents Brace For Border Wall Eminent Domain Battles
    By JohnDoe2 in forum illegal immigration News Stories & Reports
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 04-20-2017, 09:55 PM
  2. Replies: 0
    Last Post: 07-14-2012, 10:56 AM
  3. Rough terrain for illegal immigrants
    By jimpasz in forum illegal immigration News Stories & Reports
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 02-18-2008, 09:53 PM
  4. Letter signals possible use of eminent domain for border fen
    By Jean in forum illegal immigration News Stories & Reports
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 12-13-2007, 03:54 AM
  5. Eminent Domain, UN Let take it!
    By Prometheus in forum General Discussion
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 06-30-2005, 01:51 PM

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •