A Texas priest kept the border wall off his chapel's land
Father Roy Snipes saved La Lomita Chapel from the wall, and now he is challenging how migrants are detained and deported.
Global News Podcast · French protesters return to the streetsDawn was breaking at La Lomita Chapel, a short walk from the Mexican border in South Texas, when Father Roy Snipes, a priest, greeted visitors.
"Good to have you here," Snipes said.
Gary O'Donoghue, who covers North America, asked Snipes about being called the cowboy priest, a nickname Snipes said he was not sure where he picked up. O'Donoghue called him "something of a hero around here" because he blocked an effort by the earlier Trump administration to claim the chapel property for wall construction.
That fight saved the small chapel near the Rio Grande, and it explains why people still seek out Snipes early every Friday morning for worship at La Lomita.
Snipes says his battle has moved from the land to how migrants are detained and deported, arguing that enforcement is not only catching violent offenders. "They said we're going to seek out the worst of the worst," Snipes said. "It's not an exaggeration to say many, many times it's the best of the best."
Many worshippers share that worry. A man at the chapel said, "The cruelty that we're seeing, I think that's turning the tide a little bit."
From the road nearby, the border wall is visible where the car passes, through what was once one of the busy crossing points when migration was at its worst. O'Donoghue reported that President Donald Trump has largely solved that crisis.
Snipes continues to greet the early Friday visitors at La Lomita.
Questions people ask
Can the government take church land to build a border wall?
Yes. Under eminent domain, the federal government can take private property for public use if it pays just compensation, and it has used that power many times along the southern border. Churches can fight the taking in court, seek to move the wall, or argue for religious freedom protections, which can delay or block a seizure.
What is the Rio Grande Valley?
It is the southernmost part of Texas along the Rio Grande, across from Mexico, and it includes several counties with large Latino populations. It has been both a center of border crossings and a place where border enforcement, farming, construction, and trade shape daily life.
What does Father Snipes mean when he says it is the best of the best?
He means that enforcement is sweeping up longtime workers, parents, and people with no serious criminal record, rather than only violent offenders. Federal officials have often said they target public safety threats, while priests, advocates, and some employers say many of those arrested have jobs, families, and clean records.