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Archive | Border Wall

February 16, 2021

The “Big Beautiful Wall” and Its Ugly Damages

President Biden ordered a freeze on further wall construction and acquisitions until his administration can sort things out.  The Trump administration rushed through its fence wall building program by utilizing a section of the Real ID Act of 2005 that empowers the head of the Department of Homeland Security “to waive legal requirements” the Secretary “determines necessary to ensure expeditious construction of the barriers and roads” at the border.  That allowed the former administration to suspend 84 separate laws and regulations and proceed without considering the damage it was causing… read more

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Posted in Border Wall, Consequential Damages, Direct Damages, Partial Takings
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October 15, 2020

No Donald, You Can’t Do That

On October 9, 2020, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that Trump’s use of his emergency powers to build his long-promised border wall with military funds is illegal.  (And no, Mexico is not paying for the wall.)   $36 billion was slated for construction of about a dozen projects including two projects in the Laredo and El Paso areas.  The money was diverted from funds dedicated for military construction.  The projects in Texas would have covered more than 60 miles according to the American Civil Liberties Union.  Some experts… read more

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Posted in Border Wall, Military Construction, Sierra Club v Trump
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June 24, 2020

Border Wars Trump Style

The U.S. has actively been pursuing the wall between the United States and Mexico.  And, no, Mexico is not paying for it.  Since the month of March, the government has filed 24 new condemnation cases to acquire private property from South Texas landowners which is more than were filed in the preceding eight months.  All this despite the pandemic. There are currently 657 miles of primary barriers and 50 miles of secondary barriers along the 2000-mile border. Remember that the vast majority of the barriers were constructed prior to the… read more

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Posted in Border Wall, Condemnation
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June 1, 2020

Border Wall Land Grabs

The New York Times reported on May 30, 2020 that the Trump administration is accelerating efforts to seize private property for Trump’s border wall.  The government is taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to survey land while its owners are confined indoors.  This blog has written about the wall before.  How’s the Wall Going? February 10, 2020; How’s Your Wall Going? Part II, February 27, 2020.  These blogs discussed the destruction of protected saguaro cactuses which can live for 200 years.  It’s a crime to cut down a saguaro, punishable… read more

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Posted in Border Wall, Native American Sites, Texas
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February 27, 2020

How’s Your Wall Going? Part II

          We previously wrote on this subject on February 10, 2020.           The New York Times on February 27, 2020 reports the desecration of tribal lands by the Trump administration’s scramble to build a wall at America’s border with Mexico.  The article written by Simon Romero reports the destruction of protected saguaro cactuses which can live for 200 years.  Ordinarily, cut down a saguaro and you can face years in prison.           The remains of chopped-up saguaros are now visible along a swath of the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona,… read more

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Posted in Border Wall, Endangered Species Act, Takings, Tribal Lands, Uncategorized
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