According to news reports, since May the federal government has filed four condemnation lawsuits against local residents in the Brownsville, Texas area for the purpose of constructing a border wall along the southern border of the US. Some residents, who have been informed that the government wants access to their property for purposes of surveying land that would be involved in border wall construction, are contesting the government’s terms for use of their land.
For example, one family has filed an answer in the government’s condemnation lawsuit against them, stating that the government’s demand for access to their property does not specify when or for how long they will be there. They also argue that the $100 the government has offered them for access is not fair compensation for costs they may incur in potentially relocating their horse or the safety issues the surveying may cause for their five children.
Additional Reading
Brownsville family voices concern in border wall lawsuit, The Monitor, July 8, 2019
Government files another lawsuit; seeks land for border fence, The Brownsville Herald, June 22, 2019
Complaint, United States of America v. 1.000 Acres of Land, More or Less et al., June 10, 2019
Answer, United States of America v. 1.000 Acres of Land, More or Less et al., July 1, 2019
Photo credit: Shutterstock.com / Chess Ocampo
