Inside the federal government's haphazard, decade-long process of seizing private land for a border fence.
Recent court filings in a case brought by Hidalgo County against a former employee who oversaw construction of a Bush-era border barrier allege a vast kickback scheme worked out over drinks and steak dinners. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/03/02/TXT-BorderWall-Richmond053a.JPG)
In comic strip form, read one border resident's story of waiting nearly a decade for the government to pay for land it seized for the border fence. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/12/19/tt-propublica.png)
A decade ago, many border Texans got a raw deal when the federal government seized land for a barrier — while others pushed up the price. Will the government's rushed, haphazard process be repeated as it pushes for a border wall? Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/12/11/OK_55_TT.jpg)
Even if President Donald Trump gets his way, eminent domain lawyers say a variety of legal issues would arise surrounding private land seizures that could delay wall construction for years — and even derail it entirely. Full Story
The Catholic Diocese of Brownsville is resisting the government's efforts to take over the historic chapel that gave Mission its name. And a man known as the "cowboy priest" finds himself at the center of a national debate with local implications. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/1abcf761e066f44da9b8f9e29a2aceda/Lomita_Chapel_Mission_Texas_3.jpg)
The South Texas county filed suit against Godfrey Garza Jr. and the high-profile Houston-based Dannenbaum Engineering on Wednesday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/12/22/Godfrey_Garza_MM_TT.jpg)
A judge said Hidalgo County's lawsuit against former drainage district manager Godfrey Garza Jr. wasn't strong enough to take before a jury. But the county judge says the county will appeal. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/12/27/Border_Wall_4_CR_TT.jpg)
If the Trump administration follows through on the president's promises to build a border wall, would it actually stop undocumented immigrants and illegal drugs? Two former smugglers explain how they'd work around it. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2018/01/23/Agent_Rodriguez_2_MKC_TT.jpg)
A decade ago as the federal government rushed to construct 60 miles of barrier in the Rio Grande Valley, it entrusted the chief of a little-known local agency to execute a compromise project. What it didn’t know was that he — and his family — stood to make millions from it. Full Story
Scores of Texas landowners who have lived in the shadow of the border fence for years were never compensated for any damage to their property values. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/12/14/Melissa_Solis_MDN_TT.jpg)
An investigation by The Texas Tribune and ProPublica revealed that landowners were paid unevenly for similar plots of land when the federal government began taking property to build a border fence in the Rio Grande Valley. Hear the stories of a few of those landowners. Full Story
Hace una década, muchos residentes de la frontera en el estado de Texas recibieron tratos injustos, mientras que otros aumentaron significativamente la oferta, cuando el gobierno federal exigió la venta de propiedades privadas para construir una cerca, según descubrió una investigación de The Texas Tribune y ProPublica. A medida que la administración de Trump sigue presionando para la construcción de un muro fronterizo, ¿se repetirá el proceso apresurado y caótico del gobierno? Full Story
About this joint project by the Tribune and ProPublica. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/12/11/OK_02_TT.jpg)