RENOVATIONS AND SURROUNDED BY MEDAL SCAFFOLDING.
MEDAL SCAFFOLDING. >>> THE CONSTRUCTION OF THAT
WALL IS RUNNING INTO ANOTHER
SNAG.
SNAG. LANDOWNERS IN TEXAS.
JULIA AINSLEY JOINS ME.
YOU’VE BEEN REPORTING ON THE
BORDER FOR A LONG TIME NOW AND
THAT WALL FOR A LONG TIME NOW.
THE PRESIDENT HAS HIT A FEW
ROADBLOCKS ALONG THE WAY.
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH PRIVATE
LANDS IN TEXAS?
>> Reporter: IT’S INTERESTING.
THESE ARE ROADBLOCKS PEOPLE CAME
UP WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT THE
WALL.
WALL. TEXAS HAS THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF
LAND ON THE BORDER THAT IS
PRIVATELY OWNED.
PRIVATELY OWNED. THESE ARE LANDOWNERS WHO ARE
TRYING TO HOLD ONTO THEIR OWN
LAND BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT COMES
AND TAKES IT AWAY THROUGH
IMMINENT DOMAIN.
IMMINENT DOMAIN. ONE ROUTE THE GOVERNOR HAS IS TO
GO AHEAD AND START BUILDING AND
THEN NEGOTIATE IN COURT LATER
THE AMOUNT THEY WILL BE PAID.
IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THEY HAVE
TO ARGUE THIS IS A MATTER OF A
NATIONAL EMERGENCY.
NATIONAL EMERGENCY. ONE LAWYER I SPOKE TO WHO’S
REPRESENTING A CLIENT WITH LAND
ON THE BORDER SAID HIS CLIENT
HAS BEEN IN A COURT BATTLE OVER
PROTECTING HIS LAND SINCE 2008
WHEN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION
TRIED TO ACQUIRE IT FOR A
SIMILAR PURPOSE.
SIMILAR PURPOSE. THE PRESIDENT WON’T BE ABLE TO
MAKE GOOD ON HIS PROMISE TO
BUILD 450 MILES OF BORDER
WITHOUT UNLESS THEY CAN SEIZE
THE LAND WITH IMMINENT DOMAIN.
THEY’RE ALREADY RUNNING INTO A
LOT OF ISSUES IN COURT AND IT
COULD DRAG OUT THAT TIMELINE.
AS FOR THE LANDOWNERS
THEMSELVES, IF THE GOVERNMENT
DOES MAKE THE CASE THIS IS A
MATTER OF A NATIONAL EMERGENCY,
THEN THE LANDOWNERS MAY HAVE TO
GIVE IT TO THE GOVERNMENT.
>> THERE WAS AN EFFORT TO USE
D.O.D. FUNDING TO HELP PAY FOR
THE COST OF THE WALL.
THAT WAS STRUCK DOWN IN COURT.
>> IT COMES BACK TO THE ARGUMENT
OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY.
THEY COULDN’T USE THAT D.O.D.
MONEY BECAUSE IT WASN’T IN THE
INTEREST OF NATIONAL SECURITY.
THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT THE
ADMINISTRATION ISN’T GOING
FORWARD WITH OTHER MONEY THAT’S
BEEN ALLOCATED AND THAT THEY’RE
NOT GOING FORWARD WITH SEIZING
THE LAND THEY WOULD NEED TO THEN
CONSTRUCT.
CONSTRUCT. THAT COULD BE ANOTHER HINDRANCE
AS THEY START TO SECURE
CONTRACTS AND FIND PEOPLE WHO
WILL BUILD THIS WALL AS THEY
SECURE THE LAND IN THE FUTURE.
>> YOU’VE REPORTED ON THIS
INVESTIGATION BY THE PENTAGON’S
INTERNAL WATCHDOG INTO THE
ALLOCATION OF A $400 MILLION
CONTRACT TO A COMPANY THE
PRESIDENT HAS BEEN TOUTING ALONG
THE WAY.
THE WAY. >> THE NAME OF THE COMPANY IS
FISHER SAND AND GRAVEL.
THEY’RE OUT OF NORTH DAKOTA AND
THEY’RE RELATIVELY SMALL.
THEY HAVE BEEN CAMPAIGNING TO
TRY TO GET A CONTRACT TO BUILD
PART OF THE WALL.
THEY’VE DONE A LOT OF THAT
THROUGH SENATOR KRAMER OF NORTH
DAKOTA.
DAKOTA. WE UNDERSTAND THAT KRAMER’S
OFFICE TALKED TO THE WHITE HOUSE
AND THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF TOLD
HIS ADVISORS AND PEOPLE IN THE
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT THAT HE
WANTED FISHER SAND AND GRAVEL TO
BE CHOSEN AS ONE OF THE WINNERS
OF THIS CONTRACT.
THEY HAD TO REMIND THE PRESIDENT
THAT IS NOT THE WAY THE FEDERAL
PROCUREMENT PROCESS WORKS.
YOU CANNOT PICK A WINNER, MR.
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. FISHER SIMPLY DID NOT HAVE THE
RESOURCES TO COME FORWARD AND
WIN ONE OF THOSE CONTRACTS, BUT
IN EARLY DECEMBER THEY DID WIN
ONE OF THOSE CONTRACTS FOR $400
MILLION TO BUILD 35 MILES OF
WALL ALONG THE BORDER IN TEXAS.
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
WATCHDOG IS LOOKING INTO HOW
THIS CONTRACT WAS AWARDED, IF IT
WAS DONE PROPERLY OR MAYBE THERE
WAS SOME OUTSIDE INFLUENCE.
THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
OFFICE HAS ALSO NOW BEEN ASKED
TO LOOK INTO THE SAME CONTRACT.
>> HE SAID HE WANTS TO BUILD 450
MILES OF WALL NEXT YEAR.
HOW LIKELY IS IT THAT HE’S GOING
TO HAVE THAT TO SHOW FOR HIMSELF
AS HE CONTINUES TO CAMPAIGN?
>> IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE HOW THAT
GETS DONE.
GETS DONE. I UNDERSTAND ONCE YOU HAVE A
CONTRACT, SOMETHING LIKE THIS
CAN BE BUILT IN A MATTER OF
MONTHS.
MONTHS. WE’RE ALREADY LOOKING AT THE
COURT CHALLENGES ON THE FEDERAL
LEVEL IN TERMS OF FUNDING, THE
CIVIL LAWSUITS OVER HOW MUCH THE
GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO PAY, WHETHER
OR NOT THEY CAN SEIZE THAT LAND
UNTIL THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY IS
NEGOTIATED BETWEEN THE LANDOWNER
AND THE GOVERNMENT.
THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN IN OFFICE
SINCE 2017 AND ALREADY WE HAVE
ONLY SEEN MAYBE ABOUT NINE MILES
OF ACTUAL NEW BORDER WALL.
WHAT THE PRESIDENT TWEETS ABOUT,
THOSE VIDEOS YOU SEE, THAT’S
USUALLY REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR OF
EXISTING BORDER BARRIER WHICH IS
MUCH EASIER TO DO.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE
LEGAL PROCESS TO ACQUIRE NEW
LAND.
LAND. I DON’T LIKE TO RULE ANYTHING
OUT, BUT IT WOULD BE A
SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE TO MEET