As the United States Government has now approved funding for the border wall, it is time for us to assess what such a wall will bring. What was formerly consider what was a formerly campaign a campaign rally outcry of, “build the wall,” is now a reality. This issue is inescapable to Texans since we make up more of the border with Mexico than any other state. 

            The article in the Austin American Statesman entitled, “Bracing Wall in South Texas,” gives us an in-depth look at the impact of the wall on normal Texans living on the Southern Border. The article gives stories of the fear of real Texans who will mostly lose their land through eminent domain (federal government seizure). Some might say that it is a necessary trade-off for national security. That might be the case, but to ignore the property rights and sentimental attachment of landowners in the process is something that the federal government must wrestle with. After reading this article one has to ask if it is worth it to allow a judge who knows little about the value to the owner decide if they have a right to possess it over the words, “build the wall”.