Texas is making a piece of rural ranchland available along the U.S.-Mexico border as a potential staging area for mass deportations under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump.
This property, located in Starr County within the Rio Grande Valley, was bought by Texas last month. Dawn Buckingham, the state’s Land Commissioner and a Republican, communicated this offer to Trump in a letter sent on Thursday.
This land proposal highlights the stark differences in approach between various states and local governments regarding Trump’s intended mass deportation plans for undocumented migrants. Recently, the Los Angeles City Council voted to designate their city as a “sanctuary” jurisdiction, thereby limiting its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agencies.
Leaders in Texas have consistently supported stringent measures to prevent unauthorized crossings, which have included erecting razor-wire fences and enacting legislation last year that permits law enforcement to detain migrants crossing the border without authorization.
In a statement, Buckingham expressed her support for Trump’s initiative, stating, “By offering this newly-acquired 1400-acre property to the incoming Trump Administration for the construction of a facility for the processing, detention, and coordination of what will be the largest deportation of violent criminals in our nation’s history, I stand united with President Donald Trump to ensure American families are protected.”
Trump has indicated his intention to initiate deportation activities on the very first day of his presidency and has consistently criticized illegal immigration throughout his campaign, attributing a notable increase in unauthorized crossings to various issues, including drug trafficking and soaring housing costs.
Currently, there are approximately 11 million individuals living in the country illegally, raising concerns regarding identification processes and potential detention facilities.
The president-elect’s transition team has not confirmed whether they will accept the land offer from Texas; however, they did release a statement. According to Karoline Leavitt, the spokeswoman for Trump’s transition team and Vice President-elect JD Vance, “On day one, President Trump will marshal every lever of power to secure the border, protect their communities, and launch the largest mass deportation operation of illegal immigrant criminals in history.”
The Texas General Land Office has not provided details on the cost of the land, but Buckingham noted that the former owner had opposed the construction of a border wall. In 2021, under the leadership of Republican Governor Greg Abbott, a section of the border wall measuring 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) was constructed on that land, and Buckingham indicated that the recent acquisition has enabled additional leasing for further border wall projects.