Border wall: City issues 'cease and desist' letter to New Mexico landowner building Trump barrier
A New Mexico landowner has been served a “cease and desist” order after attempting to build a private border wall with $20 million raised through a crowdfunding website.
The city of Sunland Park said the landowner had failed to fill out an application for the project.
The landowner may yet be able to build their border wall, in an apparent effort to help Donald Trump move forward with his long-promised barrier, with the city’s chief inspector expected to visit the site this week.
Even so, Brian Kolfage, who set up the GoFundMe campaign in December, raising more than $20 million, accused city officials of political intimidation.
"Here we go!! Liberals trying to intimidate us!" Mr Kolfage tweeted. "SOUND THE ALARM."
His group, We Build the Wall, says it was initially given a green light to build the wall before Memorial Day.
But Sunland Park's city manager says the “cease and desist” has nothing to do with politics.
“There is no political motivation on the part of the city, simply our interest in having our code and ordinances complied with,” Julia Brown told CNN.
She added: “This applicant is not being treated any differently from any other applicant in that all applicants are expected to comply with the law. We don’t selectively enforce the law, do not show favouritism, or ignore our own laws.”
