President-elect Donald Trump
Credit: Reuters File Photo
Houston: Texas has proposed the use of a state-owned 1,400-acre ranch near the US-Mexico border to support President-elect Donald Trump's mass deportation plan.
In a letter to Trump on Tuesday, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham extended the state's cooperation with federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
She offered the property, located in Starr County, about 35 miles west of McAllen, as a site for a facility to process, detain, and deport “violent criminals”.
Buckingham criticised her predecessor for opposing the construction of a border wall on the property, alleging that the move enabled cartel violence and exploitation of migrants. Texas acquired the land last month to bolster border security efforts, including plans for a wall.
Trump has signalled his intent to declare an immigration national emergency, a move that has raised concerns among advocates about the humanitarian and logistical implications of deporting millions.
While Texas has aligned itself with Trump’s immigration policies, resistance is mounting in other states. On the same day as Buckingham’s proposal, Los Angeles passed a “sanctuary city” ordinance to protect migrants and limit local cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
As Trump’s policies take shape, the divide between states supporting or opposing his immigration agenda continues to grow sharper.