Trump admin preparing to take over private land in Texas for border wall
The Trump administration is preparing to submit court filings as early as next week as a necessary step toward seizing private land in Texas for its wall on the border with Mexico, NBC reported Thursday. Administration officials still haven’t said how much the government will compensate affected landowners.
“I still think we’re on track to get the land we need for 450 miles” of border wall, Acting Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection Mark Morgan told reporters on Thursday. The government may file to appropriate the land in federal court in Texas under the Declaration of Taking Act, which would expedite the appropriation process. The law, which is meant to be used in emergencies, allows the federal government to take over the land before beginning negotiations with its former owners over compensation.
Department of Justice and Department of Defense attorneys have already prepared letters of rights of entry, which inform property owners of the government’s impending use of their land. Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner is scheduled to meet with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers chief of engineers Todd Semonite, Assistant Defense Secretaries Kenneth Rapuano and Robert Salesses, and other officials Friday at the White House to discuss taking over lands on the southern border.
The White House has previously faced legal challenges to its efforts to fund construction of the border wall. In December of 2018, Democrats refused to allocate funding for the wall in the 2019 budget, and the ensuing standoff with President Trump led to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. Trump eventually relented, deciding instead to declare a state of emergency in order to allocate funds from the Pentagon’s budget, in a move a federal judge deemed “unlawful” last month.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Trump associate Roger Stone found guilty of lies that protected TrumpBREAKING: Longtime Trump associate Roger Stone was found guilty of lying to Congress and other charges in a case that has shed new light on President Trump’s anticipation of the release of stolen Democratic emails in 2016.
Read more »
Rodney Reed's execution stayed by Texas appeals courtJUST IN: A court of appeals granted an indefinite stay of execution for Rodney Reed, a Texas man that was set for execution next week for the 1996 murder of Stacey Stites. Reed, 51, has been on death row for 21 years and has long maintained his innocence.
Read more »
Texas court blocks Rodney Reed executionCNN News, delivered. Select from our newsletters below and enter your email to subscribe.
Read more »
Texas Appeals Court Blocks Inmate’s ExecutionTexas’ top appeals court halted the scheduled execution of inmate Rodney Reed, whose conviction is being questioned by new evidence that his supporters say raises serious doubt about his guilt.
Read more »
Rodney Reed's Execution Has Been Halted By A Top Texas Court After An Outcry Of Support“This opportunity will allow for proper consideration of the powerful and mounting new evidence of Mr. Reed’s innocence,” his attorney said.
Read more »
Texas Court Suspends Rodney Reed ExecutionRodney Reed will not be executed next week — and he'll be allowed to present new evidence of his innocence in court
Read more »