Mount Cristo Rey shrine in legal battle over Trump border wall seizure

The Trump administration has filed an eminent‑domain lawsuit to seize more than 14 acres of land that includes Mount Cristo Rey, a 4,675‑foot peak in Sunland Park, New Mexico, topped by a 29‑foot limestone statue of Jesus Christ the King. The Diocese of Las Cruces argues that the seizure and planned wall construction would violate the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, seeking to limit damage to the shrine and surrounding landscape and requesting a jury trial to determine compensation.

Texas Representative Veronica Escobar introduced the “Mount Cristo Rey Protection Act,” which would recognize the site as a holy place and prohibit its use for the wall. The case is pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico.

The Church also cited previous damage to a sacred Indigenous site in Arizona as evidence of the government’s disregard for religious and cultural heritage.