A sprawling illegal immigrant settlement in the woods north of Houston is believed to be home to tens of thousands of people — and it is growing rapidly.
That’s the tremendous concern among experts and state officials about Colony Ridge, a massive development owned and operated by Texas land developer William “Trey” Harris. The development, situated deep in the interior of the United States in Liberty County, is already estimated to be over 60 square miles and has a population estimated to be anywhere between 50,000 and 75,000, and growing.
A Daily Wire survey of the sprawling development by helicopter found half-built homes, dilapidated trailers, and heaps of trash throughout the unevenly developed property, which stretches alongside acres upon acres of unspoiled woods. The flight revealed a sprawling labyrinth of roundabouts and endless rows of sidewalkless streets that are being cleared to make way for further development.
According to a report from the Texas Public Policy Foundation, 20,000 residents were living in Colony Ridge as of 2020 and the population was projected to reach 100,000 in the near future — and now, the development itself states that their Santa Fe development alone has 35,000 residents.
Without a significant law enforcement presence in the area, the super-sized development has caught the attention of state officials. Texas Representative Brian Babin, who recently took a helicopter tour of the area, thinks it is the property of cartel members and has raised concerns about possible drug and violent crime.
“There is word that the cartels are playing a role in this area,” he told The Daily Wire.
Part 2. Welcome to the largest illegal immigrant no-go sanctuary city in America. Colony Ridge in Liberty County Texas from an airplane today. Vast expansion clearing underway not pictured, w/ @Michael_Yon pic.twitter.com/whJ0ob55M2
— Todd Bensman (@BensmanTodd) June 14, 2023
Those suspicions have been lent some credibility by the presence of numerous posts on the Instagram page of Harris’ company, Terrenos Houston, which appears to be geared towards those who are not currently living in the United States or who are not citizens of the country. The company encourages people to “own land in the United States” and to “reach out via Whatsapp” in order to purchase land, circumventing traditional financing requirements and potentially presenting buyers with the opportunity to sidestep providing a social security number.
While Harris has denied that he is catering to illegal immigrants, Chris Russo, the President of Texans for Strong Borders, believes it is clear Harris is targeting people seeking to evade the law. “There are some serious allegations that Republican politicians are involved in the development,” he said, pointing to the massive campaign donations from Harris to Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Representative Bailes, who represents the district Colony Ridge lies in, has benefited from both direct contributions from Harris and companies connected to Colony Ridge. He has stated that he is working with local officials to address problems, though he would not comment on whether he would return the political contributions or accept more in the future.
The massive pocket of illegal immigration in the backyard of America’s fourth largest city has raised alarms all the way to Washington, with National Security Analyst J. Michael Waller warning of the danger posed by such settlements.
“This is going to be cartel land near Houston and at risk of being a no-go zone,” he said. “They have no idea of the American founding, of American founding principles, they haven’t taken any training in what it means to be an American or what the American way of life is all about. This is just symptomatic of the destruction of our country.”
Texas Senator Ted Cruz has called on President Biden to take action against the development, arguing that lax immigration policies under the current administration have enabled massive illegal settlements like Colony Ridge to thrive.
The development of Colony Ridge is only the latest illustration of a real-life consequence of lax immigration policies, with state and federal lawmakers raising alarms about the large and growing population in the development, which is situated in one of the state’s poorest counties. As the development continues to grow, however, it remains to be seen what, if any, action will be taken to reign in the rogue pocket of illegal immigration.
