From Bundy To Border Fences: Right-Wing Hypocrisy Over Eminent Domain
“Mere weeks after right-wing media loudly defended racist Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy with erroneous allegations of a “federal land grab” of his property, the same conservative outlets are now advocating for a border fence that would require an immense seizure of private lands.
In the first half of 2014, thousands of children fled across the U.S.-Mexico border to escape rising violence plaguing their home countries in Central America. Anti-immigrant figures in the right-wing media have responded by stoking nativist insecurities, erroneously suggesting the children pose public health and safety concerns and that they will be allowed to stay in the United States indefinitely.
Many of these figures have also returned to calls for a fence to be constructed on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Conservative radio host and ABC News contributor Laura Ingraham made the completion of a border fence part of her personal plan to address holes in the nation’s immigration policy in a manifesto titled, “The Government Vs. The People: Rebuilding Trust In The Midst Of The Illegal Alien Tsunami”.
On Fox News July 9, America’s Newsroom co-host Martha MacCallum floated the idea of prioritizing appropriations to construct a border fence over money for humanitarian care and administrative personnel to facilitate customs hearings. On July 8, Fox guest Pat Buchanan said in an appearance on Hannity, “Why cannot the government say ‘Look, let’s get together, we do need a secure fence, a double- or triple-link fence, all along the border of the United States with Mexico’?””
Powell, Brian. Media Matters 9 July 204.