Probably nothing good, but how much of that remains to be seen.
A newly elected state representative this week suggested Colony Ridge, a 33,000 acre majority-Latino residential development in Liberty County, will be a focus of immigration enforcement for President-Elect Donald Trump’s administration.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, state Rep.-elect Janis Holt included a photo of herself and Tom Homan, pledging to address “the challenges posed by Colony Ridge.”
Homan, who ran the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for nearly two years under the first Trump administration, has been chosen by Trump as his “border czar.” He will be tasked with carrying out the incoming president’s mass deportation plans.
“I enjoyed my conversation with Border Czar Tom Homan. We will coordinate with his office and attack this issue head on (sic),” Holt wrote. It is unclear where and when the photo was taken.
[…]
In September 2023, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick responded to months of conservative media reports by flying a helicopter over the development with the Texas Department of Public Safety and affirmed right-wing critics’ complaints that Colony Ridge is a borderline “sanctuary city” for immigrants citing misleading and false crime statistics.
Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Legislature to address Colony Ridge during a special session in the fall of 2023, but lawmakers only increased the number of DPS officers patrolling the development.
Alain Cisneros, a campaign coordinator for FIEL, an immigrant rights nonprofit, said Holt’s post about Colony Ridge is an example of politicians trying to score points with their party on hot topics like immigration.
“What we see is that it’s causing another psychosis, a panic, (that) everything is related to mass deportations,” Cisneros said in Spanish.
Jasmina Yadyra, who immigrated from Honduras 25 years ago and moved to the Liberty County development in 2021, said on Friday there should be stricter regulations surrounding immigration to the United States.
“Just as good people come, bad people also come and then they go to their home countries as if nothing happened,” she said in Spanish. “There should be order.”
The majority of Colony Ridge residents want quiet lives, Yadrya said.
“This is a place where we want to live in peace,” she said. “It is a very beautiful place that must be taken care of. It’s our home since we immigrated and we want to contribute to a grand nation like the U.S.”
Former residents Keilah and SuEllen Sanchez commended Holt’s attention to Colony Ridge. The sisters said Holt marks a significant shift from her predecessor, former Rep. Ernest Bailes, who they believe was aligned directly with the development.
“However, there are critical factors that must be considered when addressing Colony Ridge and its impact on both its residents and the broader community,” they wrote in a text message to the Landing. “It is important to recognize that while illegal immigration is a significant issue in Colony Ridge, not all residents are undocumented immigrants.”
Cisneros said years of right-wing rhetoric surrounding Colony Ridge has unfairly blamed residents for violence and disorder while ignoring what she called a predatory lending scheme that has taken advantage of the development’s residents over the past decade.
John and William “Trey” Harris, who did not respond to a request for comment, own the development, which is being sued by the Department of Justice and Texas. The brothers are accused of targeting largely Latino land buyers in what state Attorney General Ken Paxton has called a “bait-and-switch” sales scheme.
John Harris previously told the Landing the lawsuits were baseless and inflammatory.
See here for all previous Colony Ridge blogging. There are the allegations of rampant crime and gang activity, which have not been corroborated by the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office. There are allegations that the population of Colony Ridge is disproportionately comprised of undocumented immigrants, which honestly makes no sense and is also disputed by Liberty County officials. And then there are the allegations that the developers, who are facing multiple lawsuits, have engaged in misleading and predatory lending practices and other disreputable business. All of this comes with a heaping layer of right wing hysteria, which has had its usual distortion effect on the facts. Into all this comes the even more right-wing Legislature, and the whole Trump 2.0 debacle, which may or may not have the determination and capability to carry off deportations at unprecedented levels. I don’t know what Colony Ridge will look like in a couple of years, but it could be very different in ways that I think are more likely to be bad than good. I’ll keep an eye on it.
Deportations by best year for a president:
Obama = 400,000
Trump 267,000
Adrian Garcia, now a commissioner when he was sheriff, led the nation in deportations from his jails.
Lane Lewis, Harris County Democratic Chair, locked the doors to the office and refused to meet with DREAMERs.
All of a sudden, progressives care about illegal immigration.
A Harris County Democratic party official wrote that she was going “Wetback hunting.” She was not removed.
They may target those people who live there who are here illegally and put on a big show. And some people may pretend that they care.
“Adrian Garcia, now a commissioner when he was sheriff, led the nation in deportations from his jails.”
No one will disagree that people that don’t play well and cause trouble should be deported.
There is a difference in deporting trouble makers vs hunting down people going about their life, no?
Everyone seems to think that their “good” undocumented neighbor, yard worker, restaurant worker, gym trainer, construction worker, or student Dreamer will be spared deportation, and that only “bad” violent criminals will be forced out. I would not count on that. I expect a lot of theatrical removals for publicity and to encourage some folks to self-deport, followed by massive and disruptive removals.
Yeah, Robert, everyone deported from Harris County was a hardened criminal. Do you work for Adrian? I know a woman who got arrested when she disagreed with her neighbor who did not want to press charges. That woman was forced to leave behind a baby less than a year old. You keep telling yourself that only hardened criminals were deported.
Hunting down people? Do you mean workplace raids? So, if they are brought into jail and not here legally, does that suit you? Even if they have had to go to trial or have been found guilty of crimes?
Maria Jimenez: On Secure Communities
“But Maria Jimenez, a longtime advocate for immigrants in Houston, said the Secure Communities program, along with a second federal program that allows certain local law enforcement officials to act as federal immigration agents, has done just what Mr. Smith and other conservatives want. “In casting the net so broadly,” she said, “it will be a de facto immigration enforcement program by local police.”
That is exactly what was happening when Adrian Garcia was sheriff. Gonzalez changed Garcia’s policy of deporting.
For your information, Robert, almost everyone who is a first-generation citizen’s parents came here illegally or stayed here after their welcome was over.
Only one way to not get arrested and end up in jail… don’t commit a crime. (Yes, obviously some innocent people are arrested, but hose are statistically few.)
Only one way to not be deported from a country you entered illegally and, over the years, took no steps to become a legal citizen in…. go through the legal means to enter the country to begin with. (Yes, obviously there are some exceptions.)
C.L., I’m not sure where your idea of statistically few comes from, but I guess you make stuff up.
‘It’s not uncommon for someone to be arrested but not charged with a crime. In fact, in 2021, 82% of felony arrests in New York did not result in a felony conviction.”
In Texas, almost 50% of arrests result in no conviction, which suggests that the suspects may not have been arrested.
In Houston, instead of getting a citation, the following can happen if you happen to be black;
According to City Council testimony submitted by Texas Appleseed this year, Black residents were arrested in cases eligible for citation and release at a rate that was 3.6 times higher than white residents.
C.L., maybe you hate brown people, maybe even black people, only you know why you make so much BS.
When my brother first joined HPD in the early 1970s, the department may have been 95% white; DEI in reserve, in my opinion.
in reverse, dang AI.
I’m waiting for the people who hire under the table to face some serious sanctions, since we’re supposedly suffering this dangerous “invasion”, and employment is a major pull factor.
For the record, I’m not holding my breath.
Manny, that’s not much of a retort re: an inherent ability of anyone to avoid being deported from a country they’re in illegally….ffs…regardless of the color of their skin.
How does one respond to lies, C.L.? You mis-wrote? This is not the first time I have suggested that you have racist tendencies.
C.L., you told lies to advance an argument for deportation. Most of the people are dark-skinned, often referred to as people of color. How should I judge your statement?
By the way, C.L., I am not advocating that people here illegally should not be deported, but rather that it is hypocrisy for progressives to pretend that they care. The only persistent person, a blogger who moved to Colorado, had a blog called Dos Centavos.
meme: Wow, just so much to unpack here… I don’t read this blog as much as before, I’m guessing this is manny.
You state the CL makes stuff up….ironic, you jump to conclusions and assume a lot of things. You quote a number then say “it suggests” …. ironic
Then you assume people hate brown people, based on what…jeez.
You knew one woman that was arrested and left a baby behind…..what happened that she got arrested, the whole story, how can you know if she got deported, who told you the story???
And this word salad?
So, if they are brought into jail and not here legally, does that suit you? Even if they have had to go to trial or have been found guilty of crimes?
Why don’t you run for office, right the wrongs?
Thx, Robert. The word salad alone is hard to unpack, but I’ve spent close to 40 years listening to folks gritch about perceived realities, so…
Robert, what C.L. stated is fine, but you want more detail from me. Are you real?
White people think they are always smarter; I have dealt with that all my life.
A conclusion is usually what one has when analyzing what people state.
Robert, you are dense; what one political position can right all wrongs?
I am doing that here, responding to people who espouse hate and or bigotry. What else do you have to add to the conversation besides attacking me?
C.L., obviously, you haven’t learned much from those 40 years of experience.
What part of what I first wrote is not true, so I am telling the truth that some of you don’t agree with, which seems to bother you.
Do you work for Garcia, Robert?
By the way, Robert, my name is Manuel”Meme” Barrera. Some people call me Manny. Rob Todd, a former City of Houston Council Member, was the first to refer to me as Manny. I prefer Meme, which is a common nickname for Manuel in South Texas.
Now, Robert, tell us your name. C.L. won’t tell. Some people like to hide who they are, which makes them braver.
I don’t work for Garcia…
I’m Robert Kane, I ran for city council District F 16 yrs ago, weird that you must know everyone’s background, lol
Charles interviewed me back then and a few of the things that I had suggested that needed to be done, they never got done and the city still suffers from it today.
I saw the handwriting on the wall when Obama won his first term, the racial hate and divide had started…..back then voters were merely uninformed and ignorant of issues, most didn’t know the names of their elected politicians or when was election day.
Today, people are grossly misinformed and right wing sources have turned to selling hate and anger, and it worked.
Shortly after my election cycle, I decided the US wasn’t going to be a place I wanted to live, so early retirement and moved to Mexico…. life is more relaxing and home to many retired from the US and other countries as it’s more affordable and none of the political mess that’s been going on up there.
Now, is why I said…why don’t you run for office? It was an eye opening experience for me and I was asked to run again by several people, to which I said no thanks.
You going to run and fix everything, I’ll forewarn you, it’s a dirty backstabbing process…
What makes you think I have not run for office? I refuse to accept donations. I am presently the Democratic precinct chair and president of my neighborhood.
I don’t expect to win for things like city council, HISD, or HCC, but by throwing my name in the ring, I expect to take votes from someone or, if no one else is running, ensure that a pre-selected person has to run a campaign.
I also ran against Mike Laster and did reasonably well for the $5,000 I spent. I received almost 21% of the vote. I figured I was close to a runoff, but I knew I did not have the money to win, so I missed second place with 24 votes. Then, he endorsed Laster as he was the better candidate.
I will probably enter a race either next year or the next city council election to see which incumbent Republican I can hurt the most.
I endorsed Laster.
I enjoy the backstabbing. One backstab is worth two in their backs.
So, what did you suggest that has not been done?
Maybe I will make it an issue.
“Now, Robert, tell us your name. C.L. won’t tell. Some people like to hide who they are, which makes them braver.”
Manny, I choose not to use my ‘real’ name on this blog so as to keep crackpots who have concerns about what I post off my front lawn. You know, the ones who make oddball comments like “I enjoy the backstabbing. One backstab is worth two in their backs.”.
Like to inslt much C.L., u just like to insult and occasionally make racist comments while remaining hiding behind a keyboard
, guess u a Michelle Obama stick to high road. So what do u have against Garcia’s hair, why do dislike Hidalgo so much?
Meme:
https://www.offthekuff.com/wp/?p=20699