The Texas General Land Office has offered President-elect Donald Trump a 1,400-acre Starr County ranch as a potential site for constructing detention centers to support his proposed mass deportations of undocumented immigrants. Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham expressed the office’s readiness to collaborate with federal agencies involved in the deportation process to facilitate the construction of a facility that would aid in processing, detaining, and coordinating the deportation of violent criminals on a large scale.
The state recently acquired the land along the U.S.-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley with plans to build a border wall. The previous owner had obstructed the state from building a wall on the property and restricted law enforcement access. Trump’s campaign team did not immediately respond to the offer made by the GLO.
Trump’s campaign promise to tighten immigration policies and initiate mass deportations has been a focal point of his agenda. Former aides who are expected to rejoin his administration have discussed establishing staging areas near the border to detain and deport individuals. Commissioner Buckingham expressed her support for the administration’s efforts to remove criminal offenders from the country.
The Texas Facilities Commission, overseeing the state’s border wall construction, was granted an easement by Buckingham within 24 hours of acquiring the Starr County land, enabling the commencement of wall construction. Buckingham highlighted the strategic location of the land, citing its flat terrain, accessibility to international airports, and proximity to the Rio Grande as advantageous for building deportation facilities.
While Trump’s mass deportation plans may face logistical and legal obstacles, his Cabinet appointments indicate a determination to execute these policies. Stephen Miller, a key architect of the previous administration’s immigration strategy, has been selected as a top aide, and Tom Homan, a former ICE director, will serve as the “border czar.” Texas is positioned to support the implementation of these policies, as evidenced by Gov. Greg Abbott’s border enforcement initiatives following Trump’s departure from office in 2021.
Reports suggest that Texas’ “border czar,” Michael Banks, has engaged in discussions with Trump’s team regarding immigration strategies. The state’s commitment to assisting in deportations aligns with its efforts to enhance border security through various enforcement measures. The collaboration between Texas and the federal government underscores the shared goal of addressing immigration challenges along the southern border.
