Las Cruces Diocese fights federal effort to seize Mount Cristo Rey property for border wall

The federal government intends to use eminent domain to wrest a 1.3-mile stretch of New Mexico borderland from the Catholic Diocese.

By: Patrick Lohmann

Outlets: Source New Mexico

Published: May 12, 2026

Words: 473

Last Updated: 2 months, 2 weeks ago

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The federal government last week revealed it intended to use eminent domain to wrest a 1.3-mile stretch of New Mexico borderland from the Catholic diocese for a border barrier, but church officials in federal court filings Friday argued that doing so would violate their religious freedom.

The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol first announced last summer that it intended to build a border wall along the southern skirt of Mount Cristo Rey in Sunland …

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