Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham wrote a letter to President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday offering to lease the federal government over 1,400 acres of land in Starr County for constructing detention centers and deportation facilities, contributing to Trump’s plan for the largest deportation of violent criminals in US history.
Buckingham emphasized support for Trump’s immigration policies and highlighted the land’s strategic location near the Rio Grande and international airports. The land, recently acquired by the Texas General Land Office, was previously used for agriculture and faced issues with drug smuggling and human trafficking. According to the letter, the previous owners had refused to allow the federal government to build a border wall on the property.
The offer includes potential agreements with federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Buckingham’s proposal comes as Texas Governor Greg Abbott expands the use of buoy barriers along the Rio Grande to deter illegal immigration, citing concerns about a surge in crossings in the final days of the Biden administration.
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“What I care about is that we have safe communities, and there is no doubt that we are losing too many of our children to these violent criminals that are coming across the border,” Buckingham told Fox News in a subsequent interview. “I am 100% on board with the Trump administration’s pledge to get these criminals out of our country, and we are more than happy to offer our resources to facilitate those deportations of these violent criminals.”
“This election was a resounding referendum on the fact that Americans want safe communities. We want people to immigrate legally and legally only and that the administration’s policies over the last four years have failed every American citizen,” she continued.
Trump’s campaign and transition team have not yet commented on the proposal.
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