State offering more land in Starr County to Trump administration for mass deportations
Eyes are on Starr County as a border wall goes up in the area, and the state looks for more land to use for mass deportation facilities.
On Tuesday, Texas General Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham visited a 1,400-acre property in La Casita that the state recently acquired. Last week, the state offered the land to the Trump administration to be used to build deportation facilities.
“The facility here will be the final stop before these violent criminals will be deported, this will lessen the burden on our local jails,” Buckingham said at a press conference.
Buckingham is still waiting on word from Trump's team to see if they'll take her offer to use this land for the president-elect's deportation plans.
As they wait, her office has already found more land Buckingham said would also be offered to Trump.
“We will locate appropriate land under my jurisdiction to lease for the construction of violent criminal deportation facilities,” Buckingham said. “My office has identified several of our properties, and is standing by to make this happen on day one of the Trump presidency."
The commissioner's hunt for land to help the incoming Trump Administration build deportation facilities and state border wall is being called the “Jocelyn Initiative.” The initiative is named after 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray of Houston, who police say was murdered in June by two Venezuelan men who were in the country illegally.
Nungaray mother — Alexis Nungaray — joined Buckingham at the event. She spoke in support of the state’s efforts.
“As much as I wish I could change the past and take it back — and even take her place — I can't do that,” Nungaray said.
On Tuesday, Buckingham said another mile of border wall will be completed in a week. She estimated every mile costs about $20 million.
Watch the video above for the full story.
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