Eminent Domain: Administration Lacks Plans or Cost Estimates for Land Seizures Necessary to Construct Border Wall

Publication

Eminent Domain: Administration Lacks Plans or Cost Estimates for Land Seizures Necessary to Construct Border Wall

Abstract

At the request of Ranking Member Claire McCaskill, the Democratic staff of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs conducted an ongoing congressional oversight investigation into the Trump administration's efforts to construct a southern border wall. In the report, it was found that the administration can exercise the power of eminent domain to enable the Federal Government to acquire land necessary to build the border wall. It was concluded by the Committee that before the Aaministration spends billions of taxpayer dollars on the construction of a wall along the southwest border, CBP, DHS, and the President have an obligation to Congress, and to the American People, to address questions related to land acquisition that remain unanswered.