Trump transition officials are considering the possibility of building a migrant detention facility on land along the Rio Grande that Texas recently purchased, according to people familiar with the discussions.
Last week, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Tom Homan, President-elect Donald Trump’s next “border czar,” agreed to discuss using military resources and building facilities to transport migrants there, according to people familiar with the discussions. We talked about construction.
To use this land, the incoming Trump administration could declare a national emergency, which would divert funds to military funding earmarked for infrastructure construction and border missions. The work could be done by the National Guard or active-duty military, the official said, and the facility could be ready-to-erect soft-sided structures such as tents.
Abbott spokesman Andrew Mahalelis did not respond to specific questions about land parcels, but said the governor’s office is “in regular contact 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 will continue to work closely with President Trump and border czar Homan to protect our state and nation,” Mahalelis said. I think so.”
Trump’s transition team did not respond to requests for comment.
President Trump has promised to deport millions of immigrants who are in the country illegally. To make that possible, the incoming administration is considering significantly expanding the number of detention centers where immigrants are held before being sent outside the United States.
Texas Land Secretary Dawn Buckingham announced on October 23 that she has offered to purchase 1,402 acres of land along the Rio Grande for $3.8 million and lease it to the incoming Trump administration as a site for a mass deportation facility. announced by the office.
President Buckingham’s office is in the process of purchasing land near the border for the purpose of building a wall. A spokesperson said the company plans to complete 1.5 miles of border wall at the new site this week.
A representative from the permit office in Starr County, Texas, said they have not received any new permit applications to build structures on the property.
Buckingham told NBC News affiliate WOAI last week that her agency has additional land around the state that could support deportation efforts. Her office currently owns 13 million acres of land.
“We’ve identified some items that we think will be helpful to them, and of course we’re going to work with the Trump administration on what they need,” Buckingham said.
In addition to parcels near the Rio Grande, Buckingham said there could also be urban locations. “From a detention and deportation perspective, I think we probably need a more urban component, and we have that,” she said.
In late October, Buckingham also purchased more than 350,000 acres of land near Big Bend National Park. The property, called Brewster Ranch, is located near the town of La Grulla and has frontage on the Rio Grande, and has been on the market for more than a year.
James King, the property’s broker, said the seller had been negotiating with Texas Parks and Wildlife, the National Park Service and the National Wildlife Refuge, but only Texas had the funds to make it happen. The state general land office was the only one.
King said the land was sold without any protection restrictions by the seller.
Brewster County’s top official, Judge Greg Henington, said the land is so vast that it doesn’t make sense to have a deportation facility on the property. He said he believes the state intends to restore the land for ecotourism.
Kimberly Hubbard, a spokeswoman for the Texas General Land Office, acknowledged that the land likely would not be used to build an immigration detention center.
“There is an element of border security on this land, but it will not be part of this effort because the terrain is not suitable for this type of border security.” [deportation] “That said, Secretary Buckingham is committed to working with the Trump administration to gain full operational control of the southern border and is happy to serve as a good partner,” Hubbard said.
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