By Federal authorities are moving to acquire a small parcel of New Mexico land along the U.S.-Mexico border for new security infrastructure, setting up a legal dispute with state officials who are attempting to block the effort.
The clash centers on roughly seven acres of state trust land near Santa Teresa, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection plans to construct steel bollard fencing, detection technology, and access roads. The Department of Justice has described the project as part of broader efforts to strengthen border security.
CBP initially offered the state approximately $800,000 for the parcel, calling it fair market value after years of negotiations. The land, granted to New Mexico in 1898 to support public schools, generates revenue for education funding.
After the State Land Office did not respond by an April 1 deadline, federal officials notified the state that condemnation proceedings would move forward. Paperwork to formally seize the property was expected to be filed April 17, 2026.
New Mexico Commissioner of Public Lands Stephanie Garcia Richard, a Democrat, sharply criticized the move, accusing the Trump administration of exceeding its authority and signaling that the state is exploring legal options to stop the acquisition.
“Doing business with these thugs was simply not an option,” she said. “Unsurprisingly, the President threw a temper tantrum when he couldn’t automatically get his way and is now going to forcibly take our state land and deny our school kids the revenue that comes from it.”
Garcia Richard also characterized the federal action as “historic overreach” by President Donald Trump’s administration.
CPB has been on a tear building the wall. Trump adviser Stephen Miller announced last week that they are on pace to build one mile of border wall a day.
🚨 STEPHEN MILLER: "I just learned that CBP will soon be at the milestone of 1 MILE PER DAY in NEW border wall!"
"That includes the water barrier in the Rio Grande…to stop water-based human smuggling."
This is awesome! Keep building that WALL 🔥 pic.twitter.com/EaEJbyBBr4
— John John Jnr (@kikolara23) April 13, 2026
The dispute reflects a continuation of earlier tensions between state officials and federal border policy. In 2018, then–Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn sought to block federal access to state trust land for border wall construction during Trump’s first term.
State Land Office spokesperson Joey Keefe confirmed that the federal government intends to condemn the parcel for border infrastructure.
The federal government maintains that acquiring the land is necessary to complete security improvements along the southern border.
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