Saturday, May 16, 2009

Judge throws out border fence case

May 15, 2009
Associated Press
by Nedra Pickler

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit to stop construction of the U.S.-Mexico border fence ordered by the Bush administration.

The Texas Border Coalition, a coalition of mayors and business and community leaders, sued the Homeland Security Department last year. The group said the department did not fairly negotiate compensation with landowners for access to their land for six-month surveys to choose fence sites.

The Bush administration pledged to build roughly 660 miles of fencing and other barriers along the border to help keep out illegal immigrants. About 625 miles is complete.

But U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton ruled Friday that the coalition did not have standing to sue since its members were not the affected property owners.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jVdixxxUKMR4V7LXmPSdHppIur5QD986VGVO0

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