Border agents bully landowners for wall access

The Trump administration's long-dormant border wall project is stirring anew, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) resorting to hardball tactics to secure property for construction.

Landowners face coercive offers and threats

CBP is dispatching letters to property owners along the U.S.-Mexico border, offering signing bonuses of up to $5,000 and promising to negotiate purchases if they grant access for surveys and wall building. The catch: reject the deal and face lawsuits to condemn the land under eminent domain.

Upon review, the Texas Observer found these new letters a more aggressive approach compared to past administrations, including Trump's first term. Then, the government simply sought initial surveys, paying $100 and filing lawsuits later on recalcitrant owners.

CBP's urgency likely stems from a desire to complete construction before a Democratic Congress or incoming president can reverse course, said Martin Castro, director of the Rio Grande International Study Center. Landowners are understandably intimidated by the pressure, he added.