Sunland Park, New Mexico - President Donald Trump and his administration are suing a Catholic Diocese in an effort to seize holy land in New Mexico for his border wall.

In a legal complaint filed last Thursday, the Trump administration is seeking to use eminent domain – which allows the government to seize private property for public use in exchange for proper compensation – to take Mount Cristo Rey from the Catholic Church in Dona Ana County, New Mexico.

The complaint suggested paying $183,071 for the land so that they can "construct, install, operate, and maintain roads, fencing, vehicle barriers, security lighting, cameras, sensors, and related structures designed to help secure the United States/Mexico border."

Since 1940, Mount Cristo Rey has been home to a 29-foot-tall limestone statue of Jesus Christ, which has become a popular tourist attraction in the region over the years.

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According to Bloomberg, the legal team for the Diocese argued in a response that the shrine is the site of "annual pilgrimages," where as many as 40,000 people visit to make the climb and participate in a mass.

"The erection of a border wall through or along this holy site could irreparably damage its religious and cultural sanctity, obstruct pilgrimage routes, and transfer sacred space into a symbol of division," the response added.

The Diocese has vowed to fight back against the lawsuit by arguing in defense of their First Amendment and religious expression rights and that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act has been violated.