Texas Civil Rights Project Poised To Assist Borderlands Property Owners Should Wall Be Built

AUSTIN, TX — The battle lines have been drawn along the U.S.-Mexico border, pitting the administration of Donald Trump against Texas landowners fearing encroachment should a wall be built separating both countries.

On Wednesday, the Texas Civil Rights Project launched a campaign designed to assist borderland property owners while serving to voice opposition construction of a wall proposed by Trump. The centerpiece of the campaign are videos (in English and Spanish) designed to educate property owners about their rights as the specter of a border wall looms.

"Today, the Texas Civil Rights Project launched a new campaign, including bilingual videos, to protect the civil rights of Texas landowners while delaying construction of a wall that is offensive to communities and ineffective as a matter of immigration policy," officials of the group said in a prepared statement.

TCRP officials vowed to represent property owners facing eminent domain by the federal government in pursuit of a border wall abutting their land. The campaign also includes deploying legal volunteers to assist property owners challenge forced land acquisition by the government, particularly low-income property owners, officials said.

Related story: More Than 6 in 10 Texans Oppose Trump's Border Wall Construction Plans: Poll

"As part of our outreach, TCRP's new videos detail, in English and Spanish, the protections landowners have under the U.S. Constitution to be notified in writing, provided just compensation, and heard by a jury of their peers to determine the value of their land before it is taken," officials said.

"With attorneys in the Rio Grande Valley and El Paso, TCRP is ready to protect residents in the borderlands from the proposed border wall that threatens to divide and harm millions of residents," officials said.

TCRP Racial and Economic Justice Director Efrén Olivares reiterated the role his group would play in protecting landowners' interests.

"We are ready for a contested, protracted resistance alongside Texas landowners," Olivares said. "Under the rules governing federal condemnation actions, a landowner who disagrees with the amount offered by the government has the right to request a jury trial. Our team at the Texas Civil Rights Project is ready to represent landowners, as well as train and deploy legal volunteers to ensure that all landowners have the representation and respect they deserve."

Aside from their legal representation, TCRP officials seek to convey what they perceive as an ill-planned reaction to the issue of immigration, Olivares said.

"Ultimately, we know that the proposed border wall is the type of wrong-headed policy that threatens our community and distracts from the real issues facing our broken immigration system," he said.

• Link to English Know Your Rights Video
• Link to Spanish Know Your Rights Video

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