According to a person familiar with the talks, Trump transition officials are considering the prospect of constructing immigration detention facilities on a piece of land along the Rio Grande that the state of Texas recently purchased.
According to the individual with knowledge of the conversations, Texas Governor Greg Abbott discussed last week the use of military forces to assist in transporting migrants to the site and the construction of facilities with Tom Homan, President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming “border czar.”
The next Trump administration may declare a national emergency to use the site, diverting cash intended for infrastructure development and funding troops for a border operation. According to the source, the National Guard or active-duty military could perform the work, and the facilities could be easily erected tents or other soft-sided buildings.
In response to inquiries concerning the property parcel, Abbott’s press secretary Andrew Mahaleris stated that the governor’s office is in “regular communication with the incoming Trump Administration on effective strategies to secure the border.”
“Texas has held the line against the Biden-Harris border crisis for the past four years, and the Governor looks forward to continuing to work closely with President Trump and Border Czar Homan to protect our state and the nation,” Mahaleris stated.
A request for comment from the Trump transition team was not answered.
According to Trump, millions of illegal immigrants will be deported. His incoming government is seeking to significantly increase the number of detention facilities that would house immigrants before to their departure from the United States in order to make that feasible.
According to her office, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham paid $3.8 million on October 23 for the 1,402-acre parcel of land on the Rio Grande and offered to lease it to the incoming Trump administration for the construction of mass deportation centers.
In order to construct a wall, Buckingham’s office has been purchasing land close to the border. On the new land, a 1.5-mile border wall will be finished this week, according to a spokeswoman.
According to a spokesperson of the Starr County, Texas, permitting office, no new applications for constructing structures have been submitted to the agency.
Last week, Buckingham told NBC News affiliate WOAI that her organization also owns other land parcels in the state that might help with the deportation effort. Currently, 13 million acres of land are owned by her office.
We’ve found a few items that we believe could be useful to them, but we will collaborate with the Trump administration on anything they require, Buckingham stated.
According to Buckingham, there might be urban settings in addition to the site close to the Rio Grande. “I think we probably need some more urban pieces, which we do have, from the detention and deportation standpoint,” she said.
Additionally, Buckingham acquired almost 350,000 acres close to Big Bend National Park in late October. The property, known as Brewster Ranch, was up for sale for more than a year. It is close to the town of La Grulla and has some frontage on the Rio Grande.
According to James King, the property’s realtor, the seller was in negotiations with national conservation organizations, the National Park Service, and Texas Parks and Wildlife, but the Texas General Land Office was the only entity with the funds to make it happen.
According to King, the vendor sold the land with no conservation limitations.
Brewster County’s top judge, Greg Henington, stated that it would be illogical to establish deportation facilities on the property due to its size. According to him, the state plans to rebuild the area for ecotourism.
According to Texas General site Office spokesman Kimberly Hubbard, the site will probably not be utilized for the construction of immigrant detention facilities.
“Although this piece of land has a border security component, it would not be a part of this initiative as the terrain wouldn t be suitable for this type of [deportation] facility,” Hubbard stated. “However, with that being said, Commissioner Buckingham is dedicated to working with the Trump Administration on gaining complete operational control of our southern border, and she s happy to serve as a good partner.”
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