A couple living east of Brownsville built their retirement home on the banks of the Rio Grande. Now, a proposed border wall could force them out.

Ray Purifoy and Guadalupe Rodriguez can see Mexico from their living room. 

"It's kind of nice. It's one of the reasons why we built here," Purifoy said.

The couple previously lived in Seguin and traveled in their RV just before the pandemic. A family friend suggested buying land along the Rio Grande.

"This is our retirement home that we intended to die in," Purifoy said.

In early June, U.S. Customs and Border Protection sent the couple letters outlining plans to build a border barrier system. The letters included a map showing the proposed project site cutting straight through their property.

"[They] kind of nicely asked to use our land and offered $5,000 to destroy whatever they want to," Purifoy said.

According to the letter from CBP, the couple has three options. They can allow CBP to survey the land and build a border barrier, negotiate selling a portion of the land or let the government take it through eminent domain.

Purifoy is a retired Navy pilot. He said he does not agree with any of those options.

"As a veteran, I wouldn't have fought for that," Purifoy said.

The couple does not plan to hire lawyers. They say they intend to refuse to give up their land until a court decides.

CBP's Smart Wall Map does not show the proposed project site. It only shows contracts that have been awarded, are under construction, or have been completed. The map does show a buoy barrier system in the Rio Grande near the couple's property.

Channel 5 News reached out to CBP about future border wall construction plans and a timeline. CBP issued the following statement in full:

“The Smart Wall Map available online reflects the most current information regarding barrier locations and planned projects. For specific questions about land acquisition related to a property, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recommends landowners reach out directly to the points of contact provided in the letter they received from CBP or its associates for plans or timelines related to the specific property.”

"Well, we're going to try and fight here. But as long as we don't have to get lawyers involved," Purifoy said.

Watch the video above for the full story.