The New Mexico Catholic Diocese is facing the possible seizure of some of its lands by the U.S. government to facilitate the construction of a border wall between the United States and Mexico.
The Diocese of Las Cruces is named in an eminent domain request in a civil action filed by the federal government in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico on May 7.
The filing was made at the request of the Department of Homeland Security. It says he wants the land to “construct, install, operate, and maintain roads, fencing, vehicle barriers, security lighting, cameras, sensors, and related structures designed to help secure the United States/Mexico border within the State of New Mexico.”
The land in question is located northwest of El Paso, Texas. Government plans show plans for an extensive border wall for the site.
The government said it would compensate the defendants in the case just over $183,000. The Dona Ana County Treasurer was also named in the filing.
The Las Cruces Diocese did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the controversy. But in a court filing on May 8, the diocese said the seizure of the land would impose a “considerable burden” on the religious freedom of both the diocese and “other faithful who wish to commune with God on diocesan property.”
The disputed land parcel runs along the base of Mount Cristo Rey, the diocese said in its filing. Atop that mountain is a 29-foot-tall statue of Jesus Christ, marking a pilgrimage site that the diocese says is “a site of annual pilgrimage”, drawing thousands of people to the mountain.
The diocese had previously told the government that the seizure of the land “would be a significant infringement on religious freedom and rights of worship” given the religious importance of the site.
The filing asks the court to halt proceedings until the First Amendment dispute is fully decided.
