How the Texas border wall is creating an expanding no man’s land

[Elderberry]

Statesman.com   Jeremy Schwartz 3/10/2017   

Most mornings, 19-year-old Greg Garcia passes through an opening in the rusting, 18-foot-high steel fence on his way to classes at Texas Southmost College in Brownsville, where he studies the air conditioning sciences.

On his way home, he drives south past the border wall. More often than not he is waved through by Border Patrol agents who have come to recognize his truck. If there’s a new agent on the wall, he might get stopped and asked a few questions. It’s something he’s gotten used to over the last half decade.

“I’ve had some family members say to us, ‘When we come over to the house, do we need to bring some legal documents to get back?’” he said. “People think we live in Mexico. Actual Mexico.”

Garcia and his family are among a handful of Texas residents caught south of the wall when it was built under the Bush and later Obama administrations. They live in a hard-to-define third space, between river and wall, that stretches in fits and starts from Brownsville, through the Rio Grande Valley, and reappears in places like Eagle Pass.

President Donald Trump has pledged to build 1,250 miles of new border wall, and most of that would be in Texas, where only about 10 percent of the border is fenced in. But Texas is unique among border states: the border here is marked by the wild undulations of the Rio Grande and crowded with private land parcels. Flooding concerns and property disputes forced the existing fence to be built up to a mile from the river’s edge. That’s left wildlife sanctuaries, nature trails, cemeteries, soccer fields and family homes caught in a no-man’s land between wall and river.

A team of five American-Statesman reporters and photographers traveled nearly the entire length of the Texas-Mexico border to examine how the existing border fence is affecting communities in the Rio Grande Valley, and to study the impact the coming border wall would have in places like Big Bend and Falcon Lake.

 To see the first part of the series, click here  http://projects.statesman.com/news/texas-border/

http://www.statesman.com/news/state--regional/how-the-texas-border-wall-creating-expanding-man-land/3aXP47N7Ho3O1NMWrjagRK/

[Victoria33]

@Elderberry

If a wall is built on the Texas side where the Rio Grande is the border, we lose access to that water. Can't build a wall in the middle of the river.  During the campaign, Trump went to the border at Brownsville (think it was that town or another one like it).  When he saw the situation, the river border, he said sometimes a wall won't work - perhaps he has forgotten that.  One of these days, reality will work its way into his mind - maybe.

[TomSea]

A famous story told is of kids being picked up by a school bus at the Mexican border and being dropped back off after school. They go to school in the US. This needs to be fixed. Mexico does have its own school system. Perhaps there is an agreement to do this.

[Sanguine]

@Elderberry

If a wall is built on the Texas side where the Rio Grande is the border, we lose access to that water. Can't build a wall in the middle of the river.  During the campaign, Trump went to the border at Brownsville (think it was that town or another one like it).  When he saw the situation, the river border, he said sometimes a wall won't work - perhaps he has forgotten that.  One of these days, reality will work its way into his mind - maybe.

We won't necessarily lose access to the water - ranchers pump it out of the river all the time.  No reason they can't continue to do so.

[Sanguine]

And, for anyone who isn't familiar with the Austin American Statesman, otherwise know as the Austin UnAmerican Spaceman, there is very little "American" about it.

[Suppressed]

A famous story told is of kids being picked up by a school bus at the Mexican border and being dropped back off after school. They go to school in the US. This needs to be fixed. Mexico does have its own school system. Perhaps there is an agreement to do this.

These are Americans, on American soil.

[Sanguine]

These are Americans, on American soil.

 Frequently, they aren't.

[Elderberry]

These are Americans, on American soil.

Most likely, they are "Birthright Citizens" born of Mexican parents in the U.S.

[Sanguine]

Most likely, they are "Birthright Citizens" born of Mexican parents in the U.S.

Or - the border is very porous and kids from Mexico cross the border to go to school here. Same with food stamps - you see them all the time, cross the border, go buy groceries with a Lone Star card and walk back across the border with groceries.

[Norm Lenhart]

@Elderberry

If a wall is built on the Texas side where the Rio Grande is the border, we lose access to that water. Can't build a wall in the middle of the river.  During the campaign, Trump went to the border at Brownsville (think it was that town or another one like it).  When he saw the situation, the river border, he said sometimes a wall won't work - perhaps he has forgotten that.  One of these days, reality will work its way into his mind - maybe.

Actually we don't remotely lose access to that water. We pipe water across the most inhospitable environs in America without a second thought and turned an arid 130 degree desert into some of the most productive ag areas in America. 40 years ago we diverted a huge chunk of the Colorado River throughout Southern California. I happen to live in the middle of that and see it daily so I have to believe that people are reacting emotionally on this issue since the facts are that we can and do deal with water issues far greater than giving cows access every second of every day.

It is complete child's play to pipe water across, over, under or around anything in Texas and it is simply part of the cost of protecting our border whether Trump, Clinton or Harry Connick Jr. is president.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

'No man's' land will shrink dramatically with a wall.

Currently, ranchers and homeowners anywhere withing a few miles of the Rio Grande are prone to home invasion, theft or worse.  That is what I call 'no man's land'.

[Sanguine]

'No man's' land will shrink dramatically with a wall.

Currently, ranchers and homeowners anywhere withing a few miles of the Rio Grande are prone to home invasion, theft or worse.  That is what I call 'no man's land'.

I understand that it's much more than a few miles.  It's the wild, wild west out there right now. 

[Elderberry]

Or - the border is very porous and kids from Mexico cross the border to go to school here. Same with food stamps - you see them all the time, cross the border, go buy groceries with a Lone Star card and walk back across the border with groceries.

http://www.azbilingualed.org/News_2006/border_isnt_school_boundary.htm

I know the area well. My Outlaws live in Pharr Tx.

[Sanguine]

http://www.azbilingualed.org/News_2006/border_isnt_school_boundary.htm

I know the area well. My Outlaws live in Pharr Tx.

Well, I'll be!  Small world isn't it?  I lived there years ago.   (And, for the record, I'm not one of your outlaws.)

[Wingnut]

And, for anyone who isn't familiar with the Austin American Statesman, otherwise know as the Austin UnAmerican Spaceman, there is very little "American" about it.

QFT.

and it cannot be said enough either.

[Wingnut]

http://www.azbilingualed.org/News_2006/border_isnt_school_boundary.htm

I know the area well. My Outlaws live in Pharr Tx.

Had an account in Pharr.  My Company had a policy that we had to visit any customer (in person) if they did 'X" amount of volume with us.  Saw the dudes once in 12 years.  Funny how they never reached that volume level again in all those subsequent years.

[Victoria33]

@Norm Lenhart

If you build a wall on our shore of the Rio Grande, you just gave the river to Mexico.  Texas has never been for cutting the state off from that river.

[Norm Lenhart]

@Norm Lenhart

If you build a wall on our shore of the Rio Grande, you just gave the river to Mexico.

Nope. It doesn't work that way.

[Elderberry]

Why not build the wall a good distance from the border, at least in Texas due to the Rio Grande. Build it to miss all the towns. It could be even 50 miles from the border. Towns, homes, and ranches could remain. Small roads that the wall crosses would be cut off. Large thoroughfares would have Border Patrol checkpoints. Aircraft flying over would be checked upon landing.

[GtHawk]

Frequently, they aren't.

My SIL taught science at a high school in Chula Vista, CA and had numerous students that crossed the border from Mexico every morning to go to school, and no they were not American born. She got fed up with it and moved to North Carolina.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Why not build the wall a good distance from the border, at least in Texas due to the Rio Grande. Build it to miss all the towns. It could be even 50 miles from the border. Towns, homes, and ranches could remain. Small roads that the wall crosses would be cut off. Large thoroughfares would have Border Patrol checkpoints. Aircraft flying over would be checked upon landing.

The whole idea is to protect the USA from unwanted invasion.  That is giving up a lot of territory.  Anybody living on the wrong side of the wall would think otherwise that this is a good idea.

Am in favor of a virtual wall to end this argument, just like Bruce Dern found out.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiFLTtjeuDc

[Fishrrman]

Build a "floating wall" in the middle of the Rio Grande.

High enough to make climbing over it (from a boat) difficult, extend it downward from the surface, too.

We've built floating bridges before, nothing here should be technologically out-of-reach.

Where the river is narrow enough, build the wall on pylons sunk into the river bed. Like a "bridge" along the surface.

If the goal is a border barrier, it "accomplishable".

Those who protest against it -- including those in this very forum -- don't WANT the border to be sufficiently protected.

[Smokin Joe]

Build a "floating wall" in the middle of the Rio Grande.

High enough to make climbing over it (from a boat) difficult, extend it downward from the surface, too.

We've built floating bridges before, nothing here should be technologically out-of-reach.

Where the river is narrow enough, build the wall on pylons sunk into the river bed. Like a "bridge" along the surface.

If the goal is a border barrier, it "accomplishable".

Those who protest against it -- including those in this very forum -- don't WANT the border to be sufficiently protected.

Apparently you haven't considered the variations in water level, or the amount of material that moves down any river (trees, etc.). You can assume all you want about my wanting the border secured or not, but Mother Nature just won't listen to you.
When the Wall came up, I pointed out that some serious engineering problems will happen, and this is just one of them.

[Norm Lenhart]

Apparently you haven't considered the variations in water level, or the amount of material that moves down any river (trees, etc.). You can assume all you want about my wanting the border secured or not, but Mother Nature just won't listen to you.
When the Wall came up, I pointed out that some serious engineering problems will happen, and this is just one of them.

I guess some people have a lot of faith in Democrats. Because we know they would NEVER turn off a virtual wall or disarm the guard/BP. We KNOW that they want invaders kept out at all costs. We know they would never have a judge declare anything to stop the BP from enforcing law. We should trust them, not the real wall supporters or the ability of American engineers to overcome issues they encounter.

THANK GOD  for Democrats! THANK GOD!!!

[Smokin Joe]

I guess some people have a lot of faith in Democrats. Because we know they would NEVER turn off a virtual wall or disarm the guard/BP. We KNOW that they want invaders kept out at all costs. We know they would never have a judge declare anything to stop the BP from enforcing law. We should trust them, not the real wall supporters or the ability of American engineers to overcome issues they encounter.

THANK GOD  for Democrats! THANK GOD!!!

I have absolutely NO faith in Democrats to do the right thing.

But Mother Nature doesn't take holidays.

Never underestimate the force of flowing water, especially when it is pushing debris (tree trash, etc.). The engineering problems aren't going away, even if the Democrats do.