Texas communities sue Homeland Security Dept. over border fence

Texas communities sue Homeland Security Dept. over border fence
By Dave Montgomery | McClatchy Newspapers


WASHINGTON — A coalition of Texas community leaders on Friday sued the Department of Homeland Security over the construction of a controversial fence on the Southwest border, saying the DHS trampled the rights of property owners in acquiring land for the project.

The suit, filed in a federal district court in Washington, accuses Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and DHS officials of violating numerous laws and regulations and effectively coercing Texas property owners to turn over land for the fence without consultation.

DHS officials denied the assertions.

"We've nearly bent over backward to work with landowners," said DHS spokeswoman Laura Keehner. "Accusations to the contrary are either ill-informed or just plain wrong."

Representatives of the Texas Border Coalition, composed of cities and counties along Texas' 1,200-mile border with Mexico, outlined the lawsuit at a press conference. Peter Schey, the lead counsel for the coalition, said he plans to seek a preliminary injunction that would require the government to restart the land acquisition process, stopping work on at least a portion of the fence.

The lawsuit is the latest, and most extensive, legal action brought against the Bush administration in an attempt to block pedestrian fencing and vehicle barriers that the DHS is building across all four states that border Mexico. It could further complicate the administration's efforts to complete the targeted 670 miles of fencing by Dec. 31.

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http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/37324.html

How about protecting landowner's rights that the republicans are always bragging about? :eyes:

Sonia