The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Texas mayors and business leaders filed a class-action lawsuit Friday alleging Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff hoodwinked landowners into waiving their property rights for construction of a fence along the Mexican border.

Members of the Texas Border Coalition said Chertoff did not fairly negotiate compensation with landowners for access to their land for six-month surveys to choose fence sites.

The coalition of mayors and business and community leaders is seeking an injunction to block work on the fence.

READ MORE: http://www.nydailynews.com/latino/2008/05/16/2008-05-16_texas_officials_sue_us_over_border_fence.html

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