Texas Observer by Gus Bova 8/28/2019
New maps obtained by the Observer represent a local plan developed as part of a Congressionally mandated consultation process.In a set of maps submitted as a public comment to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Tuesday, local officials in Starr County outline an alternative border wall plan for their patch of the Rio Grande Valley, west of McAllen. The document was posted by Rose Benavidez, president of the Starr County Industrial Foundation, a nonprofit that coordinated the proposal. The maps are part of an ongoing negotiation between officials in five Starr County localities and the federal government over the details of the border wall, a process that Congress mandated in February.
“We’ve tried to get local feedback from property owners, local leadership; what we’re proposing are options that would be palatable to the community and also meet CBP’s operational needs,†Benavidez told me Wednesday.
As mandated by Congress, CBP must consult with the towns of La Grulla, Rio Grande City, Escobares, Roma, and Salineño until at least September 30 before building any border wall in those areas. If no mutual agreement is reached by then, CBP may proceed unilaterally. Benavidez said she submitted the proposal to the agency about a month ago and has not received feedback, but expects to have a meeting with CBP in the next few weeks.
Starting from the east, the new maps show the proposed wall moved substantially farther south of the town of La Grulla than CBP has planned—something La Grulla’s Mayor, Pedro Flores, told me Wednesday that he had asked for.
More:
https://www.texasobserver.org/starr-county-proposes-alternative-border-wall-plan/
