No, they would not.
Unfortunately, under federal and state law, certain circumstances allow the government to take your land. This legal power is known as eminent domain. It is the right of federal, state, other governmental, or quasi-governmental entities, and, in select instances, private companies to take private property for public use.
The history of eminent domain in the United States goes back to its founding. Some of the earliest examples involved a burgeoning federal government seizing tribal lands held by Native Americans. This began in the 1700s, during colonial years, and continued throughout the 1800s.
The U.S. military conducted many of these seizures, while others involved treaty agreements. Perhaps you’ve heard of the Trail of Tears? This infamous and tragic historical event occurred in the mid-1800s.
The U.S. government forcibly removed Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, Seminole, and Cherokee tribes from their homes. These tribes were then made to march from the southeastern part of the United States to what is now Oklahoma.
Eminent domain continued to be utilized throughout the 19th and 20th centuries and remains legal today. It’s a means of allowing the government to claim private property for public use. Other early examples of eminent domain include the federal government using privately owned land to expand highways, construct public buildings, bring water to populated, rural areas, and manufacture war materials.
