A Texas agency has purchased a ranch along the border in rural Starr County, where the state intends to construct additional sections of border wall
The Texas General Land Office announced on Tuesday that it has acquired a 1,400-acre ranch previously used for growing corn and other crops.
The state plans to build a new 1.5-mile segment of border wall on the land, reinforcing Governor Greg Abbott‘s commitment to border security.
The land is located near the site where Texas constructed its initial 1.7-mile segment of state-funded border wall in 2022 as part of the Operation Lone Star initiative.
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, who was previously a Republican state senator, told Newsweek that the agency is looking for more options to expand the border wall.
Migrants climb through a hole in the U.S.-Mexico border wall in El Paso, Texas, on December 19, 2022. A Texas agency has purchased a ranch along the border in rural Starr County, where the state intends to construct additional sections of border wall
AFP via Getty Images/Patrick T. Fallon
“We are always looking for opportunities to acquire property and provide more revenue for the schoolchildren of Texas,” she said.
Buckingham slammed the Washington administration’s “massive failures” on matters concerning border security.
“As the steward of over 13 million acres of state land and a fierce defender of our Texas communities, the acquisition of this 1,402-acre property in Starr County will serve our state in multiple ways, such as providing revenue for our Texas schoolchildren and safeguarding our citizens from the ongoing border crisis,” Buckingham said.
“Less than 24 hours after acquiring this ranch, I was proud to sign an easement to build a fortified 1.5-mile wall on this land. It has been my promise to use every tool at my disposal at the General Land Office to secure our border, and I am happy to step in when the federal government refuses to do so—and defend Texans from the Biden/Harris administration’s massive failure to secure our southern border.”
Newsweek has contacted the White House via email for comment.
Buckingham also told the Border Reportwebsite on Tuesday that the agency had been working to acquire this land for some time, due to reports indicating the area is a hotspot for sexual assaults on migrant women and children by crime syndicates, cartels, and human traffickers.
“This is a high-traffic area at the border. A lot of terrible things happening there,” Buckingham said.
The agency purchased the land on October 23, using revenue from the mineral industry, and Buckingham said that the acquisition was approved by two independent boards.
Donald Trump’s 2017 border wall policy aimed to construct a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border to curb illegal immigration and enhance national security. It involved reallocating federal funds, using existing barriers, and promoting stricter immigration enforcement. It faced legal challenges and significant political debate throughout his presidency.
Abbott continued the border wall initiative in Texas primarily to address ongoing concerns about illegal immigration, drug trafficking, and border security. Faced with high numbers of migrant crossings, the governor viewed the wall as a necessary measure to protect communities.
According to a poll by Gallup, a slight majority of respondents back Trump’s flagship border wall policy from his tenure at the White House, as 53 percent support significantly expanding the construction of walls along the U.S.-Mexico border, up 13 points since 2019.
