Special Poll
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham announced that she has offered a 1,400-acre ranch along the Texas-Mexico border to the federal government, intending to lease it to the Trump administration for its proposed mass deportation plan.
Speaking with Blake Burman on The Hill Tuesday, Buckingham explained that she anticipates leasing the property to the federal government once the Trump team finalizes its strategic plans. “What we’re expecting is a land lease arrangement. That’s how we generate funding for the schoolchildren of Texas,” she said, adding her confidence that Texas and the Trump administration will reach a favorable agreement.
In a letter to President-elect Donald Trump in November, Buckingham indicated her office’s readiness to allow deportation facilities to be established on the recently acquired ranch near Rio Grande City. The property was purchased by the land commission after the previous owner refused to permit border enforcement activities or the construction of a border wall on the land.
Buckingham emphasized that Texas is prepared to collaborate with the incoming administration, including agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Border Patrol. This also includes coordination with South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, nominated by Trump to lead the Department of Homeland Security, and Tom Homan, appointed as Trump’s border czar.
“We’ll see what chain of command they establish and adapt to their strategic plan,” Buckingham stated. “Once they’ve outlined their approach, we’ll make it happen.”