The recently proposed wall on the U.S.-Mexican border would not be the first of its kind. In 2006, Democrats and Republicans passed a bill to construct a secure fence across part of the border. To build the fence, the government took land from private property owners, which is allowed through a power known as eminent domain. In such cases, the government is not required to ask owners for permission to claim their land. Listen to hear about the laws that allow this kind of land seizure, how they impact landowners, and how issues related to eminent domain might resurface with the current border wall proposal.
Story Length: 4:23
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February 25, 2019
3:43
President Trump declared a national emergency so he could reallocate funds to pay for a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border, which Congress did not agree to fund. In response, there are many lawsuits being filed, arguing that the president is exercising his executive power in a way that is unconstitutional in order to bypass the budgetary authority of Congress. The emergency declaration follows a long government shutdown, which occurred because Congress would not agree to fund the border wall that the president wanted. Listen to hear more about what might unfold as a result of this emergency declaration.
Read MoreDecember 3, 2018
6:01
A large group of Central American migrants fleeing violence and seeking asylum in the United States have been gathering at the Mexican border as they await processing of their applications. Tensions erupted recently in Tijuana, Mexico during a protest by migrants impatient with the process, and some made a run for the U.S. border during the unrest. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers fired tear gas on the migrants and temporarily closed the border. Listen to this story to learn more about reactions to these events and ideas about how to improve the situation.
Read MoreMarch 15, 2017
5:30
One of President Donald Trump’s campaign promises was to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico. Legal professionals believe that hundreds of landowners will bring lawsuits against the U.S. government to stop the wall from being built in their backyards. While George W. Bush was President in 2006, he decided to build a fence along a portion of the border and hundreds of lawsuits were filed by landowners. Listen to learn more about the land disputes surrounding the proposed border wall and how Trump’s wall is likely to affect landowners and courts.
Read MoreJanuary 18, 2016
3:48
The occupation of a federal wildlife refuge in southeast Oregon has brought attention to the federal government’s management of public lands. The group of armed protesters want the land to be handed over to locals. Some people making their living off the land are experiencing economic hardship and are pointing to mismanagement and the red tape and regulations set by the Bureau of Land Management. Others have no problems with land management but simply want more people to understand the issues of the rural west. Listen to this story to learn more about this divisive issue.
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