Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham is facilitating the use of vast tracts of state land to support President-elect Donald Trump’s deportation plans. In an effort to assist the federal government, Buckingham offered more than 1,400 acres (567 hectares) of land in one border county to build deportation centers, and is willing to make other land available from the 13 million acres her office manages in the state.
Land Availability Throughout Texas
According to Buckingham, the land administration in Texas has properties in several regions of the state that could be suitable for the Trump administration’s needs. In particular, he mentioned that his team has identified areas near El Paso and that they have specialized software to locate more options.
Although the Trump administration has not yet defined the exact number or characteristics of the deportation centers, Buckingham anticipates that they will be quick builds, as opposed to traditional brick buildings. This strategy aligns with Trump’s plans for mass deportations, to target undocumented immigrants with criminal records.
Jocelyn Initiative and Focus on Violent Criminals
The name of the initiative, “Jocelyn Initiative”, pays tribute to Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl killed in Houston earlier this year by undocumented immigrants. Buckingham stressed that the main goal will be to help the federal government remove violent criminals from the state.
Meanwhile, Tom Homan, Trump’s nominee to head Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), recently visited the border in Eagle Pass, Texas, and reiterated his commitment to implementing mass deportations. Buckingham, for his part, continues to work on making land available and coordinating the construction of the facilities necessary to carry out these plans.
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