Construction equipment has moved into place to erect a looming border barrier in southern Texas in the middle of a butterfly refuge, whose operators are furious that their land has been seized and environmental regulations ignored. The barrier is being erected along a levee of the Rio Grande in the border town of Mission. As of Monday morning the federal government had offered no compensation for seizure of center land needed for the barrier and adjacent paved enforcement zones, Wright said. Environmental waivers will also allow barrier construction to cut through the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park and some private property. All nine representatives who represent border areas in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California oppose the wall, but Hurd is the only Republican.

Source: Huffington Post February 05, 2019 11:03 UTC