Fence may push Texas towns along river into no-man's-land

GRANJENO, Texas — Founded 240 years ago, this sleepy Texas town along the Rio Grande has outlasted the Spanish, the Mexicans and the short-lived Republic of Texas. But it may not survive the U.S. government's effort to secure the Mexico border with a steel fence.

A map obtained by The Associated Press shows that the double or triple-layer fence may be built as far as two miles from the Rio Grande, leaving parts of Granjeno and other nearby towns in a potential no-man's-land between the barrier and the water's edge.

Based on the map and what residents have been told, the fence could run through houses and backyards. Some fear it could cut farmers off from prime farmland near the water.

"I don't sleep right because I'm worried," said Daniel Garza, born and reared in Granjeno. Garza, 74, said federal agents told him the gray-brick house he built five years ago and shares with his 72-year-old wife is squarely in the fence's path.

"No matter what they offer, I don't want to move, I don't want to leave," Garza said, his eyes watering.

Congress has authorized $1.2 billion for 698 miles of fence at the Mexico border to deter illegal immigrants and drug smugglers.

The plans call for about 330 miles of virtual fences — cameras, underground sensors, radar and other technology — and 370 miles of real fences. The Rio Grande Valley, at the southeastern tip of Texas, is slated for 70 miles of real fence by the end of 2008.

The Rio Grande has been the international boundary since the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 ended the Mexican-American War. But officials say putting the fence right up against the river could interfere with its flow during a flood and change its course, illegally altering the border.

The map obtained by The AP shows seven stretches of proposed fence in the Rio Grande Valley, including one section that could cut through the property of about 35 of Granjeno's nearly 100 houses.

Town leaders and residents say federal officials have shown them the same map.

Exactly how many Rio Grande Valley residents could lose property is unclear. The map depicts only one portion of the valley, which has about 2 million people.

Residents, many of whom have put "No Border Wall" signs on their cars and in their yards, say they have been assured they will be compensated at fair market value for property taken by the government. But that has not comforted them.

"We want to be safe, but it's just that this is not a good plan," said Cecilia Benavides, whose riverfront land in Roma, about 50 miles upriver from Granjeno, was granted to the family by the Spanish in 1767.

"It gives Mexico the river and everything that's behind that wall. It doesn't make any sense to me."

Michael Friel, a Customs and Border Protection spokesman in Washington, D.C., said the maps are preliminary and that no final decisions on the route of the fence have been made. But he said the maps reflect the government's judgment of how best to secure the border against intruders.

The fence would be at least 15 feet high and able to withstand a crash of a 10,000-pound vehicle going 40 mph, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The fence likely would consist of concrete-filled steel posts a few inches apart, or perhaps sheet metal with small openings. It would not be continuous.

What will happen to land between the fence and the river is the biggest question for landowners in border towns such as Granjeno, a town of three streets and about 400 people.

J.D. Salinas, the top elected official in Hidalgo County, said he can't get an answer no matter how many times he asks.

"Are we going to lose prime farmland because they are going to build a structure that's not going to work?" Salinas asked. "You're moving the border, basically two miles. You're giving it up to Mexico, and the U.S.-Mexico treaties say you are not supposed to do that."

Local officials also worry that the fence could cut off access to drinking water piped from the river to 35,000 homes. They worry that town officials will not be allowed to set foot inside the no-man's-land to repair pumps that might fail.

Homeland Security documents on a department Web site say that "in some cases, secure gates will be constructed to allow land owners access to their private property near the Rio Grande."

Granjeno Mayor Alberto Magallan said his small town wants to fight. But with only one business and a per-capita income of $9,000, residents likely won't be able to afford to do anything but sell.