Lawsuits Delay Border Fence Construction

"South Texas landowners fighting border fence surveys have gained traction in court and could keep the federal government from meeting Congress' demand for 670 miles of Mexican border fencing by the end of the year. One case has already held up dozens of others for more than a month. Its outcome could mean further delays for 38 more cases scheduled for hearings this week," the Houston Chronicle reports. "The Justice Department has sued more than 50 property owners in Texas this year -- a total of 75 along the whole U.S.-Mexico border --after the owners refused to allow workers onto their property for preliminary work such as surveys. No Texas judge has ruled in favor of the landowners, but a recent ruling from U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ordered the government to first try to negotiate the price of access with landowners. The Department of Homeland Security has won access in 35 of those cases, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Most of the nearly 500 property owners in the fence's path gave voluntary access to their land and as of Feb. 21, 303 miles of fencing had been built."

Read the full story