Border wall protestors urging landowners to join class-action lawsuit against DHS

By Joey Gomez

MISSION, March 12 – As they walk from Roma to Brownsville in protest against a border fence, students and teachers are telling local landowners that could be affected by the proposed barrier to seek out pro-bono legal advice.

Wednesday was Day Five of the walk, with participants setting off from Mission and hoping to reach Las Milpas by sundown.

John Moore, a teacher from Brownsville, said he and other organizers of the walk made contact with the legal community in the Valley before setting off.

“The pro bono attorneys said they wanted us to get the message out that there is help available for all landowners that are affected,” Moore said. “This walk is not just some symbolic, selfless act. It is about building up energy, building up momentum and spirit.”

Moore said the walkers went out of their way on Wednesday to march down to Granjeno, a tiny town six miles south of Mission, in order to tell residents that free legal advice was available.

“Granjeno is not really on the way to Brownsville but we took our blistered feet down there because we had to go to the belly of the beast,” Moore said. “We have been handing out leaflets, fliers, and business cards about the legal help that is available.”

Moore said he hoped that the landowners contacted would end up joining a class action lawsuit against the federal government.

At least three legal groups have offered free legal advice to landowners. The South Texas Civil Rights Project (STCRP), Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid (TRLA), and the California-based Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law (CHRCL) are currently signing up potential clients.

No distinction is made as to whether the landowners signed a waiver allowing Border Patrol on their property or not. The groups say they will give equal help to those who have been sued by the government and those who have, so far, been left alone.

The purpose is not just to help them fill in paperwork but to build up a client-base to develop a class-action lawsuit, according to the STCRP.

“We invite anyone who is a landowner, or anyone else who has a concern about being affected by the wall to give us a call…we are going to make sure they get free legal advice,” said Corrina Spencer-Scheurich, civil rights attorney for STCRP in San Juan.

Landowners can call STCRP at 956-787-8171.

Lawyers with STCRP and TRLA will be in Los Ebanos on Wednesday evening to meet with border local landowners.

“Even if people don’t want to be part of the litigation, we still really encourage them to contact us,” Spencer-Scheurich said.

“We encourage people to contact us for information if they want it. I’ve had people call, and I contact them when something new develops. Even if they don’t want anyone to contact them, they just want to line us up so if something does happen it’s going to be a lot more efficient to contact us ahead of time so we can act more quickly if something does happen.”

Spencer-Scheurich said she appreciates the outreach work those marching against the border wall are doing.

“You know a lot of people have a lot of fear about the wall still, and they’re still really concerned. So we say to contact us anyway, we will explain what we’re doing we will give you more information,” Spencer-Scheurich said.

“We want to make sure we let people know what’s going on, and do a good job to let them know what is happening.”

Meanwhile, tonight at 6 p.m. in Las Milpas, the border walkers will be greeted by Pharr Mayor Polo Palacios, and state Reps. Kino Flores, D-Palmview and Armando Martinez, D-Weslaco, at Jones Box Park. LUPE-ARISE Folklorico will provide entertainment at a celebration organized by human rights activist Joe Krause.