... destroy SpaceX's Texas facility, costing $100 million and five years. I suspect the five years part is worth many billions. SpaceX is currently lying low and probably working behind the scenes.

Imagine that eminent domain bill ...

SpaceX Texas Facility will be Cut in Half

I don't understand.

Why would Spacex build a facility that straddles the international border?

Many reasons, and the border isn't one of them.

The Texas site is closer to the equator than the other two major launch places (Kennedy and Vandenberg). Closer to the equator = less fuel needed to reach orbit.

That land was cheap. So buying the site is less expensive than renting another launchpad at Kennedy.

It's right on the ocean. That helps with deliveries of large stuff, like big rocket parts.

Launches take place to the east, and over water.

I think Texas gave SpaceX regulatory and financial intensives.

The site is isolated, so NIMBY was largely avoided.

Enough?

Quick Google shows that the Spacex facility is a good bit north of border. Between the border and the Spacex site is a the Las Palomas Wildlife Management Area.

Looks to me like DHS decided it will be easier to build across Spacex land than to try to build across the Wildlife Management Area, or perhaps they are banking on Spacex getting an exception.

Or perhaps the wall will never be built and this is all smoke and mirrors.

The wall will never be built. If it were, Individual 1 would have to find something else to foment animation in his base... and it would have to be something else that can be encapsulated in three words (three words that he can actually remember). If the wall is not built, the bogeyman is alive and well.

Analogy: we had republicans controlling both houses of Congress and in the White House for years, but abortion is still legal. Because if they had followed through on their promise to ban it, they'd have to find something else to keep the white evangelical Christians voting for them.