Dems Question Ryan On Eminent Domain to Seize Private Lands for Trump’s Border Wall

Congressmen Rubén Gallego (D-AZ), Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), José Serrano (D-NY), Juan Vargas (D-CA), and Vicente González (D-TX) wrote to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) urging him to clarify his position on whether the federal government should be permitted to use eminent domain to obtain land for the construction of Donald Trump’s border wall. The letter points out that more than 70% of the land along the Southwest border doesn’t belong to the federal government, so construction of the wall will require the extensive use of eminent domain to confiscate property owned by U.S. citizens and tribes. Speaker Ryan has repeatedly spoken out against the use of eminent domain in the past, but has yet to publicly state whether this mechanism should be employed by the Trump administration. “We write to ask whether you support the use of eminent domain to secure land for the construction of President Trump’s expensive and unnecessary border wall,” they write. “If so, we request that you explain the obvious contradiction between such a stance and your previous positions on this issue ... The prospect of the Trump administration fighting families in court for their own land should alarm every American. We trust that your concern for private property rights extends to families living on our southwest border ...” See the full letter here.