Legal fight looms over border wall expansion…
SANTA TERESA, N.M. — Federal authorities are moving to acquire a small parcel of New Mexico land along the U.S.-Mexico border for new security infrastructure, setting up a legal dispute with state officials seeking to block the effort.
The dispute centers on roughly seven acres of state trust land near Santa Teresa, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to construct steel bollard fencing, detection technology and access roads. The Department of Justice has described the project as part of broader efforts to strengthen border security.
CBP initially offered the state about $800,000 for the parcel, calling it fair market value after years of negotiations. The land, granted to New Mexico in 1898 to support public schools, generates revenue for education funding.
After the State Land Office did not respond by an April 1 deadline, federal officials notified the state that condemnation proceedings would move forward.
State Pushback
New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard, a Democrat, sharply criticized the move, accusing the Trump administration of overreach and signaling the state is exploring legal options.
“Doing business with these thugs was simply not an option,” she said. “Unsurprisingly, the president threw a temper tantrum when he couldn’t automatically get his way and is now going to forcibly take our state land and deny our school kids the revenue that comes from it.”
Richard also described the action as “historic overreach.”
Federal Position
The federal government maintains that acquiring the land is necessary to complete security improvements along the southern border.
The move comes as CBP continues expanding border infrastructure. Trump adviser Stephen Miller said last week the administration is on pace to build roughly one mile of border wall per day.
Ongoing Tensions
The dispute reflects a continuation of earlier clashes between state officials and federal border policy. In 2018, then-Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn attempted to block federal access to state trust land for border wall construction during Trump’s first term.
State Land Office spokesperson Joey Keefe confirmed the federal government intends to move forward with condemnation proceedings for the parcel.
The legal fight is expected to center on federal authority to seize state trust land and the potential financial impact on education funding.
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