The problem is the land that gets stranded behind the fence.
They will pay the landowner for the land that they need to build the fence and the road, but they won't pay for the land that is stranded behind the fence.
The next to last paragraph in the article identifies it:
Private property which could be a house on a lot or farmland. Natural habitats and preserves like a wildlife management area. Cemeteries. State parks and Birding Centers. Bird watching is big business in south Texas. People come from all over the US and world.
IMHO, national security trumps all. Graves and Cemeteries can be moved. A park on the Border is just plain stupid. Birding can be done on the US side, and if they want to bird on the Mexico side they can cross at a checkpoint. As my old HS football coach used to say, these are not reasons, they are excuses.
Screw the land owners on the border, this is war! They will be way over compensated of that I am sure.
“Bird watching is big business in south Texas.”
It is likely that land stranded on the South side of the fence will tend toward being a kind of nature preserve over time, as other uses dwindle. Maybe some Preservation Trust, or the State or Federal Park systems could buy up parcels over time.
Gates could be opened during business hours, and closed at night, to allow use, but let the birds get a good nights sleep from noisy tourists.
The most populated segment might be Los Ebanos. I’d guess they will have a well used gate for a long time.