Posted on 02/18/2016 1:21:11 PM PST by TigerClaws
There is a similar 60’ border easement along the northern border—instituted by Taft, but it did not cover public lands.
There is a similar 60’ border easement along the northern border—instituted by Taft, but it did not cover public lands.
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The land I referred to in Texas is private property, not public land, other than the Big Bend NP.
When the Republic of Texas joined the US, it retained ownership of all its land. The Fed land in TX (military bases, Nat’l. Parks, etc.) has been granted to the US by the State.
Not only that, but the Rio Grande is designated a Wild & Scenic River, which would make it easy to object to the environmental review that would be necessary to clear the federal funds for the project. Between that and the endangered species survey, the Historic & Tribal consultations, and the remaining National Environmental Policy Act requirements, publications, and the certain objections and lawsuits, it would be years before the environmental mitigation and clearance was complete. Then throw in the Davis Bacon Wage Rate decisions and any applicable Section 3 requirements, and the next president is likely to be done with his first term before the groundbreaking could happen.
Surprise. Congress has to authorize the money!!
Trump has already said that parts of the border will not need a wall, so he gets it, it appears.
Don’t get me wrong, I know he said it and I agree but the implication left by an earlier poster, maybe on another thread, was that those areas were impenetrable.
My point was that there exists a will and an impractical way to breech the border. That is why I brought up the passive detection methods to secure against any impractical areas of passage and/or a physical wall. In those areas is where the Border Patrol stations should be placed to provide for the QRF detachments to address physical security for the really die-hard crossers.
Furthermore to the point of tunnels, technology has a very good way of sniffing those out called infrared and I can say with a certain amount of confidence that drones will be a heavily used asset as well.
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