into a military appropriations bill.
http://www.themonitor.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=9221&Section=LocalSection 102 of the REAL ID Act, which was part of the larger emergency war appropriations bill, gives authority "in the Secretary’s sole discretion, to waive all legal requirements as necessary to ensure expeditious construction of certain barriers and roads at the U.S. border."
While on the surface, this action may seem a sole blow to environmentalists, the language of the law ensures it is much more than that.
Legal professionals agree the wording of the law would allow DHS to seize privately-owned property — possibly without just compensation — in addition to waiving laws.
The heated discourse over eminent domain — which the Cato Institute defines as "the power of government to condemn private property and take title for public use, provided owners receive just compensation" — continues.