Trump administration sues Catholic diocese to seize land near El Paso for border barrier
The diocese says the seizure would block pilgrimages and violate religious freedom as 40,000 people visit the mountain each fall.
- Last week, lawyers for the Trump administration filed a federal lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Cruces, seeking roughly 14 acres of land at Mount Cristo Rey to install border barriers and security technology.
- The Catholic pilgrimage site features a 29-foot-tall statue of Jesus Christ atop a 720-foot-tall mountain, with the diocese arguing that construction would violate First Amendment rights and obstruct religious worship.
- In court documents, the administration argued the land is necessary to secure the border, offering the church $183,000 for the property to install a 'Smart Wall' and detection technology.
- U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, criticized the move as a 'blatant disregard' for community values, while local restoration advocate Ruben Escandon Jr. supports additional barriers to ensure public safety.
- The government continues seizing private property for barriers after spending $95 million on a 1.32-mile section of steel wall earlier this year, while environmentalists warn construction threatens local biodiversity.
19 Articles
19 Articles
The Trump administration wants to expropriate 14 acres of land on an iconic mountain outside El Paso, owned by the Catholic diocese of neighboring Las Cruces, New Mexico, to install more border barriers; the…
Associated Press News
Trump administration sues Catholic diocese to seize land near El Paso for border barrier
To install more border barriers, the Trump administration wants to seize 14 acres of land on an iconic mountain outside of El Paso owned by the Catholic Diocese of neighboring Las Cruces, New Mexico, that attracts thousands of people for an annual religious pilgrimage.
Trump administration sues Catholic diocese to seize land on religious site near El Paso for border barrier
The lawsuit argues that 14 acres on Mount Cristo Rey, which features a 29-foot-tall statue of Jesus, are needed for barriers and other technology to secure the border.
Telemundo Las Vegas
Donald Trump’s government wants to expropriate 14 acres of land on an emblematic mountain outside El Paso, owned by the Catholic diocese of neighboring Las Cruces, New Mexico, to install more border barriers; the place attracts thousands of people for an annual religious pilgrimage. The land that the federal government wants to take is located at the base of Mount Cristo Rey, a 219 meter (720 foot) high mountain with a statue of Jesus Christ alm…
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