NEW CANEY, Texas — Texas Department of Public Safety troopers and special agents are assisting Homeland Security Investigations with an operation in Colony Ridge Monday morning, Gov. Greg Abbott announced on social media.
The governor said the initiative aims to apprehend “criminals & illegal immigrants.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: The video above is from a March 2024 report on the Texas Attorney General’s lawsuit against Colony Ridge.
“Colony Ridge is being targeted today,” Abbott posted on social media platform X. “Texas DPS Troopers & Special Agents are assisting Homeland Security Investigations, with an operation in Colony Ridge this morning. They are targeting criminals & illegal immigrants. I have worked with Tom Homan on this for months.”
President Donald Trump has designated Homan as his “border czar.”
This operation follows a lawsuit filed in March 2024 by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against the developers of Colony Ridge. The lawsuit alleges deceptive trade practices, real estate transaction fraud and other state and federal law violations. According to the attorney general’s office, the developers engaged in misleading sales, marketing, and lending practices, targeting foreign-born and Hispanic consumers with limited credit access. The lawsuit claims that purchasers were often sold land lacking essential infrastructure, leading to high foreclosure rates and financial losses for buyers.
Colony Ridge, located approximately 30 miles northeast of Houston, is home to an estimated 40,000 residents, many of whom are Hispanic immigrants. The community has been a focal point of controversy with Republican leaders labeling it a hotspot for undocumented immigrants and crime. Developers have been accused of selling relatively inexpensive plots of land over the past decade, often to individuals with limited or no access to traditional credit.
As of now, specific details regarding arrests or further actions resulting from the operation have not been disclosed. The situation is ongoing, and updates are expected as authorities continue their efforts in the area.