Source: AP News
The government has faced many legal and environmental challenges in its attempt to build the border wall. A majority of the border wall’s construction so far has been replacement of old fencing, and the remaining land (specifically along the Rio Grande) is either privately owned or environmentally sensitive. The Department of Justice has filed three lawsuits to take property from landowners using eminent domain, a legal process heavily weighted in favor of the government’s interests. Construction has also been held up at the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, the National Butterfly Center, and a historic Catholic Chapel.
Richard Drawe, a man who owns land along the Rio Grande, agreed to the construction of the border wall on his land, reasoning that “it seemed better and cheaper than facing the government in court, only to have it take the land anyway.” See here.