We’re now getting a clear picture of where more than 60 miles of border wall will be built in Webb and Zapata counties thanks to the newly released map from the federal government.
"This is more than just a big ugly fence that turns our city into a prison yard, this represents government seizing private land, seizing our land and not just for this generation, but for generations in the future,” said Melissa Cigarroa.
As more and more information about the proposed border wall comes to light, Rio Grande International Study Center Board President, landowner, and advocate Melissa Cigarroa says it’s getting harder to imagine how life will be without the simple pleasures she and her family enjoy in the piece of land they have along the river.
“We bought that land so we can have river access and enjoy fishing on the river that’s exactly where they want to put the wall.”
Cigarroa is one of the many landowners whose property lies within the border wall miles. An email from the federal government sheds light on where the wall will be.
There is approximately 69 miles of CBP funded border wall being proposed in Webb and Zapata County. That is in addition to the border wall system that is being funded and constructed by the department of defense.
We’re unsure of which local community leaders have received this new map.
However, we do know that Zapata County Judge Joe Rathmell was shown the updated map by CBP this morning.
“I guess we’re getting a clearer picture of what exactly we’ll be looking at.”
On Monday, Zapata County unanimously voted against allowing the federal government to their property to survey land for the border wall.
"What we were addressing yesterday were two small tracts of land that the county owns, around the campsite of San Ygnacio, the areas of Zapata County that are going to be affected with this phase of construction would be areas from San Ygnacio north to the Webb County line.”
Zapata along with the City of Laredo have denied right of entry, but Webb County has not.