Texas is positioning itself as a key ally in President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming immigration agenda, offering land and policy frameworks to aid in the largest deportation effort in U.S. history.
After years of clashing with the Biden administration, Gov. Greg Abbott is ready to collaborate with Trump’s team, leveraging the state’s existing strategies and infrastructure to bolster federal immigration enforcement.
One notable offering is a 1,402-acre ranch along the Rio Grande, proposed as a potential site for detention facilities. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham confirmed the state is identifying additional sites within the 13 million acres of state-owned land that could be used for deportation operations. Locations in El Paso and other urban areas have been flagged as suitable candidates.
Texas has developed aggressive immigration tactics under Abbott’s leadership, including Operation Lone Star, which allocated $11 billion to deploy National Guard troops and build barriers like razor wire fences and river buoys. The state also enacted measures like requiring hospitals to document patients’ immigration status and allowing police officers to arrest migrants, though some initiatives, such as S.B. 4, face legal challenges.
Tom Homan, Trump’s former acting ICE director and newly appointed “border czar,” praised Texas as a model for national immigration policy, highlighting its stringent enforcement and infrastructure. Analysts suggest that under Trump, federal cooperation with states like Texas could significantly expand immigration control efforts.
As Trump prepares to take office, Texas’ role as an immigration policy pioneer signals a potential shift toward stricter enforcement nationwide. The state is poised to influence federal strategies on border security and deportations.