Texas Golf Resort: Trump’s Border Wall Will Damage Business and Residents
President Trump wants to build a 30-foot concrete wall to prevent illegal entry from Mexico into the United States, but one Texas resort that sits right where the border wall would likely be built, says it would be damaging to business.
“We haven’t received any kind of notice from the government or Trump’s team, but if it followed the same path that it did in 2006 when Bush built the fence, 70% of our 319 acres would be south of that wall,” Jeremy Barnard, general manager of the River Bend Resort & Golf Club, told the FOX Business Network.
He said the wall would also impact over 200 residents and 15 of 18 holes on the golf course would be “swallowed up.”
The president’s budget, which was revealed last week, includes allocations for 20 lawyers to handle cases over eminent domain, but Barnard said he has already retained his own lawyer.
“We are just preparing ourselves so that if there is a fight, we are prepared for it,” he said.
He added that the resort has established a relationship with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Border Patrol to create a safer environment, but believes that there are better alternatives to building a border wall.
“I recognize that there is a security issue where there is something that needs to be handled and the wall can be a tool in some areas, but I believe in areas like our golf course, there’s better tools that we can use whether it’s drones or boats or ATVs or boots on the ground.”