Texas Town Leader Fights Border Fence

Eagle Pass Mayor, Residents Group Says Federal Government "Abusing Our Liberties"

(CBS/AP)  Eagle Pass is a border town that prides itself on being both Texan and Mexican, a community with many cultural and financial ties that bind it to Piedras Negras, its sister city across the Rio Grande.

But the U.S. government's proposal to build a giant fence along the border threatens to remake the landscape in the name of national security, undermining the relationship between the two cities and, some say, permanently scarring the riverfront.

Local leaders and residents who are fighting the fence have become increasingly frustrated with what they regard as the federal government's heavy-handed tactics, which include threatening letters, lawsuits and swift legal judgments.

"They come in here like storm troopers," Mayor Chad Foster said. "They are steamrolling the people and abusing our liberties and are absolutely out of control."

Residents of Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras, a Mexican city of 143,000 people with an American-style football stadium, cross the river in both directions all the time to work, shop or visit relatives. When a tornado damaged both communities last spring, Piedras Negras sent dump trucks and front-end loaders to help Eagle Pass clean up.

The twin cultures are on display throughout Eagle Pass: On historic Main Street, the stucco Gran Mercado - a Mexican-style general store - stands near the Popular Western Wear store. Elsewhere, a car with a license plate from the Mexican state of Coahuila displays a sticker that offers solidarity for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks: "9-11-01. We'll never forget."

A two-story steel wall, if built, would cut Eagle Pass residents off from a park and a golf course on the banks of the Rio Grande. And although bridges will still span the river here, the wall could sever Eagle Pass psychologically from Piedras Negras.

Eagle Pass was the first community to be hit with a lawsuit after the federal government began demanding access to the land to survey it for the fence. A federal judge ruled in favor of the government Jan. 16, the same day the complaint was filed and before city officials had even been served with legal papers.

"Other than trying to make an example out of us, we don't understand what their issue is," said Foster, who suspects his leadership of an anti-fence group called the Texas Border Coalition might have something to do with it.

Eagle Pass leaders had already agreed to allow the Border Patrol to remove giant weeds that can provide hiding places on the riverbank; to widen a golf cart path to support Border Patrol trucks; and to install towers that would bathe the golf course and park in light around the clock.

"No one worries about border security more than the people who live here," said Foster, a bilingual real estate agent who cuts a cowboy-like profile with boots, a beige Stetson and a steady supply of Marlboros.

The river at Eagle Pass is about 280 feet wide and a muddy 8 1/2 feet deep - too deep to wade, and too dangerous for many people to swim.

The fence, as proposed, would be built to withstand the crash of a 10,000-pound vehicle at 40 mph. The barrier would bisect a property slated for a new riverfront housing development and cut in front of the park and golf course, slicing through the grounds of a historic fort built in 1849.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection hopes to construct 670 of fence across the 2,000-mile border by the end of the year. Agency spokesman Michael Friel said of the roughly 600 border landowners contacted nationwide, about 100 refused to grant permission to survey their property.

The resistance was particularly strong in Texas. The Justice Department has filed about 50 lawsuits against landowners - 35 in the heavily populated Rio Grande Valley, a dozen in Arizona and two in California.

The Eagle Pass mayor said his city never refused to allow customs officials to look at the land.

Friel declined to comment on any specific complaints but said lawsuits were a last resort. He also noted that the exact location of the fence has yet to be decided and that gates or other access could be granted for landowners with property between the fence and the river.

A fence "has proven to be an effective tool" for securing the border, said Friel, citing barriers in San Diego, El Paso and Nogales, Arizona.

Local officials and residents say the fence will not work without other reforms, such as a guest-worker program for Mexicans. The economic draw of the U.S. is too strong, they say, and the fence will cover only a third of the border.

"There's no way this is not going to be very detrimental to us," said John Stockley, a 74-year-old native of Eagle Pass. "I keep thinking if we took this money that's going to be spent not just here, all along the border, and put it into the Mexican economy, we'd probably have people going back the other way."

Meanwhile, a lawsuit was filed Tuesday over a Dallas suburb's latest effort to keep out illegal immigrants by barring home rentals to people who can't prove their legal status.

The suit, filed on behalf of real estate broker Guillermo Ramos, alleges the Farmers Branch City Council violated the Texas Open Meetings Act when it drafted and approved the new rule late last month.

Ramos believes "it's high time that a court give them some strict instruction as to what their obligations are," said his attorney, William A. Brewer III.

The law requires prospective tenants to get a city license to rent houses and apartments. It was set to take effect 15 days after a ruling on a similar ordinance currently being contested in court.

Opponents allege that while the council was supposed to discuss legal challenges against a previous ordinance, it actually drafted a new, more sweeping anti-illegal immigration measure behind closed doors, according to the suit.

City spokesman Tom Bryson did not immediately return a call seeking comment on the suit Tuesday.

There also were only a few days for residents to analyze and deliberate the proposal, opponents say.

Council members didn't announce until five days before they were to meet that a new ordinance had been drawn up. It wasn't posted on the city's Web site until the Friday before the council met. The following Tuesday, the council approved the measure unanimously, without changing a word of the proposal.

[stupidrules3]

Get over it people. It has been shown to be the will of the American people that our border be secured. Now that our government has finally begun to do our will, you need to shut up and accept the fact that it is going to happen. Sorry about your real estate development, but you should have seen this coming. I guess they could always build the fence on the other side of you town and let you be Mexican.

[olebd]

Majority rules. This guy is a threat to national security now. He needs to decide where he wants to live and quick.

[Krazcarl]

Why spend millions on a fence all needs to be done is fine and confiscate the property of those that hire illegals problem gone easy cheap even make some cash why does the congress have trouble with this????

[underdogus]

why does the congress have trouble with this???? Posted by crzmeat ...If AMERICANS weren''t so lazy, we would be working the jobs that they "take" from US..comprende????

[afmca]

Equating Bush, his neo-con puppet masters, and their intolerant, bigoted pseudo-christian Repub supporters to Storm Troopers is so insightful. Give Bush/Cheney 4 more years and the brown shirted morality police would be on every corner. They would probably study in Iran so they would learn from first class religious fanatics. If the Repubs didn''t have hate and prejudice they would have nothing at all. To think a fence will stop a terrorist if they really wanted to come in is naove, but it plays well to people that have to get their information in a hate filled sound bite. If your goal is to stop terrorists or illegals with a fence, you better put armed guards, mines, and other lethal forces surrounding it. Of course the imagery that the U.S. now resembles Communist East Berlin would not register with the right wing .

[underdogus]

I have an idea, build the Fence around Eagle Pass Posted by FloydZepp...I have a better idea, build a wall around yourselves but leave the rest of us out of it, your day is coming you NAZI your lies will catch up to you and will haunt you,as alway''s the case what goes around comes around.....watch your head pink Floyd....

[rowdytexan2]

I have a better idea, secede from Bush''s frigging Union, keep our oil and gas and sell it to the US at a huge tarrif, along with our cattle, and produce. Then we can install our own border patrol and do the job right.

We seceded once because we poured taxes into this Union and got NO help against border raids, we can do it again.

[quetzal0666]

The new Berlin wall will eventually come down.....
dont sweat it, you can go over, under or around any structure with enough perseverance..

[mcvet]

I have an idea, build the Fence around Eagle Pass Posted by FloydZepp...I have a better idea, build a wall around yourselves but leave the rest of us out of it, your day is coming you NAZI your lies will catch up to you and will haunt you,as alway''''s the case what goes around comes around.....watch your head pink Floyd....


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Posted by underdogus at 08:24 AM : Feb 06, 2008
+ report abuse

Now you see here''s your problem. YOU need to go back to school...take a NIGHT Course... YOU need to learn your LEFT from your RIGHT! Chances are when you find out which is LEFT and which is RIGHT things might be more clear to you... Sieg Heil Grand Wizard!! Isn''t that what the Klan chants every saturday night?? ROFLMAO Sieg Heil Bush!!

[displeased]

There''s got to be a better way to secure our borders than building a two story steel fence along the Rio Grande. This "old school" idea is a result of ridiculous paranoia. It''s amazing we''ve survived this long without it.

[displeased]

henry20076, take your solicitations somewhere else. We don''t care about your s3xual frustrations.

[dan9111]

What about property rights? The GOVERNMENT is hardly able to say with a straight face that their "border" is worth protecting while simultaneously saying private property can be confiscated.

[sgtrds]

I would think that the GOP would be supporting this Mayor all the way. After all this is a classic example of the federal government stomping all over states rights. Or do they only support states rights when they want to ban abortion or keep Jim Crow laws in place?

[rudy654-2009]

Posted by RowdyTexan2 at 09:01 AM

For your information, the border area between the US and Mexico existed for over a hundred years without a fence. People came and went as they pleased, as they had people on both sides of that man-made fence for over thousands of years. It is funny that Americans have become so much like the communists that they despised for decades. I guess it was pure jealousy.

[likeitis5050]

Walls beg to be climbed. Besides, this isn''t even about a wall...it''s about an American town refusing to give up its ability to enable and encourage the freedom illegals have come to expect and a town who obviously can''t live without the convenience they''ve grown to depend on over the years. In fact, the word ''illegal'' probably isn''t even allowed to be said in this town. But it answers the question, ''where the heck are all these illegals getting the leg up in this country to slither around undetected to the sum of 20+ million? Here''s one, and they probably have a healthy little economy that''s grown through providing fake IDs and stolen SS#s. They aren''t fighting over a wall. They are fighting to keep their money...like everyone else in government is working hard to take away from everyone else!!!

[quetzal0666]

likeitis5050 .......

The US Mexico Link is stronger than a bunch of cowpokes crying 911,..........................
You want to see the Latino vote become relevant, stories and attitudes like yours will awaken it,
hispanic heritage is stronger than party loyalty..

[rockingbee]

testing

[theusa1st]

Build a fence the whole length of the border...pay for it with Mexican oil. The illegals are bankrupting
our hospitals and towns and filling our prisons with trash. Violent gangs are freely crossing the border and terrorizing us. Throw out the anchor babies and their mothers. You don''t see Canadiens from the north crossing our borders and trashing our country. Tell the corrupt gov''t of Mexico...either stop them from coming or we''ll shoot them on sight.

[rockingbee]

I think this fence is one of the most ridiculous ideas of the Bush Administration...and that is saying a lot. This fence will hurt the people living near it, hurt the environment (not that the Republicans care about that) and do little to curb illegal immigration. The only ones who will benefit are the companies that will get our tax money to build the fence. I am appalled at this idea. We do not need a Berlin Wall between us and Mexico. A cruel exercise in futility.

[crusherking]

The issue here is simple. We have MILLIONS of illegals entering our country every year. Why is that bad. First, they pay no taxes. Second, they receive health care that someone has to pay for(thats you, me and every other taxpaying citizen) Third, Most of the money they earn under the table leaves our economy and goes to Mexico to boost theirs(not that it seems to help them much) Fourth, it is an obvious passage way to anyone, not just citizens of Mexico, to enter our country. Say an actual known terrorist from Al-Qaeda wants to get into the US. Does he go through immigration? No, he''d be on a list since he is a known terrorist. How does he get in the US. He crosses the border like millions have before. This is not a states rights issue unlike what some have said. Eagle Pass is a city not a state. The issue could be a private property issue. But there is no such thing when it comes to government needing the land you own for the good of the public. If they need to build a road, they can take your land. If they need to expand a state or national park, they can take your land. It is a well established precedence in law and there is absolutely NO question that the federal government has the right. We have to stop the influx of illegal immigrants for the betterment of our economy and the safety of our citizens. There is no doubt to that. What we have done in the past is not sufficient obviously. This is at least an attempt to try a different approach.

[sgtrds]

The only ones who will benefit are the companies that will get our tax money to build the fence.

Posted by rockingbee at 11:07 AM : Feb 06, 2008

And you can bet they''ll hire undocumented workers to build it too.

[crusherking]

RowdyTexan,

Do you have any idea how minimal the amount of oil our refineries in Tx produce? Wow.. Not even enough to support our state. And secede from Bush''s union? OK. you go ahead. Its called move to Mexico.

[theusa1st]

And you can bet they''''ll hire undocumented workers to build it too.

Posted by SgtRDS at 11:22 AM : Feb 06, 2008

Along with being undocumented they are ILLEGAL...try putting that in your vocabulary...

[crusherking]

SgtRDS,

You have no clue on this one. First, Eagle Pass is a city, not a state, so how is this a states rights issue. Second, fighting to keep Jim Crow laws? The Republicans?? You do realize that it was a Republican who banned slavery in the first place don''t you? Education... Its the true breakfast of champions. You shouldn''t skip breakfast anymore Sgt.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by Crusherking at 11:23 AM : Feb 06, 2008

Yes, I do. About a fourth, why, what''s your point?

[quetzal0666]

Posted by mjlewis6.....
Bush is not from Texas hes from Maine.....
give us a break will ya!!!!

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by Crusherking at 11:20 AM : Feb 06, 2008

Actually we already immigration laws in this country that have not been enforced since the Neocons took office. And we know why they haven''t.

Building a fence to keep terrorist out is simply whistling in the wind when the terrorist is within.

[sgtrds]

You do realize that it was a Republican who banned slavery in the first place don''''t you? Education... Its the true breakfast of champions. You shouldn''''t skip breakfast anymore Sgt.

Posted by Crusherking at 11:27 AM : Feb 06, 2008

That''s ancient history though. In the 1950''s the Democratic Party threw the racists out and began it''s support of the civil rights movement. At that point the GOP welcomed the racists with open arms. As you say, get some education.

Also yes Eagle Pass is a town and not a state, but the same principal applies.

[rowdytexan2]

it was a Republican who banned slavery in the first place don''''t you?

Posted by Crusherking at 11:27 AM : Feb 06, 2008

Oh geezus, here''s another one that eats Neocon fruitloops for breakfast.

[sgtrds]

Along with being undocumented they are ILLEGAL...try putting that in your vocabulary...

Posted by theUSA1st at 11:27 AM : Feb 06, 2008

They are people and people can not be legal or illegal, only documented or not.

[lfitts1]

The people who run our country could not be dumber or more cynical--in the end though we are the idiots because we elect them

[sgtrds]

Building a fence to keep terrorist out is simply whistling in the wind when the terrorist is within.

Posted by RowdyTexan2 at 11:34 AM : Feb 06, 2008

That''s true. Esp considering that the worlds most bloody, murderous and dangerous terrorist lives in the White House. He''s a much bigger danger to what it means to be an American then any one else on earth.

[displeased]

Crusherking, terrorists have much easier and legal methods of getting in this country other than crossing through Mexico. Known Al-Qaeda terrorists don''t need to bother trying. They''ll just send some of their trainees over on student visas, at least the ones that aren''t already here.

Building a wall will be a waste of resources and another failure to add to Bush''s list.

[theusa1st]

They are people and people can not be legal or illegal, only documented or not.

Posted by SgtRDS at 11:38 AM : Feb 06, 2008

If they are not documented then that means they are here illegally. You cannot have it both ways.
1 + 1 does equal 2. A fact is a fact...this issue is not cloudy...there are no gray areas.

[underdogus]

That''''s true. Esp considering that the worlds most bloody, murderous and dangerous terrorist lives in the White House...Posted by SgtRDS ..huh????? Osama Bin Laden loves you!!! gheezzzz

[libsluvsuvs]

They are people and people can not be legal or illegal, only documented or not.


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Posted by SgtRDS at 11:38 AM : Feb 06, 2008
+ report abuse

*************

if you are not a documented immigrant..YOU ARE AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT...

I bet if it was americans crossing the border to mexico..you would cry foul...

its not really about any issue like immigration or terrorism or the economy..its all about BEING AGAINST ANYTHING THAT STANDS FOR AMERICA.. you are perhaps one of those losers who thinks that this country had not bend over backwards to cater to your own personal whim..

[sgtrds]

If they are not documented then that means they are here illegally. You cannot have it both ways.
1 + 1 does equal 2. A fact is a fact...this issue is not cloudy...there are no gray areas.

Posted by theUSA1st at 11:46 AM : Feb 06, 2008

Certainly a person can be here illegally, but a person can not be an illegal person. People can not be legal or illegal. There is no such thing as an illegal person.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by SgtRDS at 11:42 AM : Feb 06, 2008

^5

[crusherking]

So your arguments are that everything is just fine the way it is? Its fine to shoot down everyone elses idea but if you are going to do that then you need to offer an alternative solution. I find it very hard to believe you are happy with the immigration issue as it is. First you say, Immigration is out of control and its the GOP''s fault. Then you say, thats stupid why bother GOP.. Problem is, what do you suggest we do? Sit on our thumbs? Please. Be realistic. If you don''t think a fence will help, then you are blinded by hate or just plain party loyalty. Obviously, a fence makes it harder to get into the US. That is plain simple logic. Isn''t that what we are trying to do? Make it harder to enter the US illegally????

[libsluvsuvs]

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Posted by SgtRDS at 11:38 AM : Feb 06, 2008
+ report abuse
**************

your type of mentality makes this country open for manipulation..immigration and terrorism..

the ILLEGAL ALIENS AND THE TERRORISTS knows that..and man! are they using that information 100%

[rowdytexan2]

That''''''''s true. Esp considering that the worlds most bloody, murderous and dangerous terrorist lives in the White House...Posted by SgtRDS ..huh????? Osama Bin Laden loves you!!! gheezzzz


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Posted by underdogus at 11:49 AM : Feb 06, 2008

No, Osama loves his step brother, Dubya.

[crusherking]

SgtRDS,

No it is not the same concept. Your argument is that Eagle Pass has the right to stand in the way of something that may be able to provide the rest of the nation with better security and better control over who enters and leaves our country? That is absurd. The wants of the few are outweighed by Needs of the many.

[sgtrds]

Posted by RowdyTexan2 at 11:53 AM : Feb 06, 2008

:-) Some people just don''t get it and it has to be carefully explained to them LOL!

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by Crusherking at 11:53 AM : Feb 06, 2008

Go back and read up some...catch up!

[sgtrds]

The wants of the few are outweighed by Needs of the many.

Posted by Crusherking at 11:56 AM : Feb 06, 2008

Only in a democracy. This is not a democracy, it''s a democratic republic. In a democratic republic the needs of the many do not outweigh the rights of the few.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by Crusherking at 11:56 AM : Feb 06, 200

The fence is not going to do squat. The point is the Neocons are not enforcing the laws we already have that should prevent this problem, and they''re doing it for their own purpose, to force the American middle class into competing for jobs at lower wages.

THAT IS THE PROBLEM.

The residents of Eagle Pass are just protesting a bunch of goons coming onto their property and *** it up. We all know the government has the authority to do this, but they want them to do this right. Would you enjoy living in a community with a fence and towers like a prison???

[three-o-six]

I own land on the border in New Mexico. I am so tired of the destruction, and total disregaurd for property rights demonstrated by illegals, that I would prefer a mine field to a fence.

[rowdytexan2]

If you had a golf course you had invested millions in, and the government wanted to come thru it with a prison guard fence wouldn''t you like to have some say in what it looks like, and where they put it?

[theusa1st]

hey RowdyTexan2...try to understand this about Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas Texas
Parkland is also home to the second busiest maternity ward in the country with almost 16,000 new babies arriving each year. (That''s almost 44 per day---every day)

A recent patient survey indicated that 70 percent of the women who gave birth at Parkland in the first three months of 2006 were illegal immigrants. That''s 11,200 anchor babies born every year just in Dallas

The hospital spent $70.7 million delivering 15,938 babies in 2004 but managed to end up with almost $8 million dollars in surplus funding. Medicaid kicked in $34.5 million, Dallas County taxpayers kicked in $31.3 million and the feds tossed in another $9.5 million.

The average patient in Parkland ''s maternity wards is 25 years old, married and giving birth to her second child.

She is also an illegal immigrant...the ***.

[rowdytexan2]

Posted by three-o-six at 12:05 PM : Feb 06, 2008

lol, that would take care of the aesthetics part.