Controversial land acquisition hinders Foxconn project in U.S. Wisconsin

CHICAGO, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Tech giant Foxconn is facing some legal obstacles concerning its planned display screen plant in the midwest U.S. state of Wisconsin, as some villagers opposed to what they called "unconstitutional eminent domain."

A dozen families who would lose their homes to the Foxconn project have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit this week against the Village of Mount Pleasant and its president, reported Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The lawsuit claims Mount Pleasant's exercise of eminent domain to take their homes is unconstitutional because it is for a private benefit instead of public use, and the plantiffs would be paid far less than similar cases.

Wisconsin state government and Foxconn signed a contract for the display screen plant worth 10 billion U.S. dollars in November. Foxconn is expected to hire up to 13,000 local workers and Wisconsin has promised to update infrastructure and offered a basket of incentives.

As part of its development agreement with Foxconn, Mount Pleasant village agreed to acquire about 2,900 acres, some directly for Foxconn and some for possible future expansion. Some also were for planned road and utility expansions, traditional public goals of the power of eminent domain.

Following the controversy over parts of the land being forcibly taken from their owners, Foxconn has agreed to give more time to solve the issue, the Milwaukee newspaper reported. Enditem