Well, this one’s got more plot twists than a Netflix political thriller. Governor Greg Abbott—the same guy who’s made a national name for himself by busing illegal immigrants to liberal sanctuaries like New York and Chicago—is now getting grilled for quietly greenlighting what amounts to a housing haven for illegal immigrants right in his own backyard.
Enter Colony Ridge, a sprawling development north of Houston, marketed as the fastest-growing residential area in the U.S. But according to new financial records and an explosive report by the Daily Caller, it’s also turned into a magnet for illegal immigrants. And it didn’t grow on its own. Nope—this so-called “opportunity zone” had help, including a fast-tracked federal designation and millions in developer donations that just so happened to end up in Abbott’s campaign war chest.
Let’s rewind. Back in 2018, Trey Harris, the lead developer behind Colony Ridge, dropped $100,000 into Abbott’s campaign—just two days before the governor wrote a letter to the Treasury Department backing Harris’s request to give the project lucrative tax credits. Fast forward a few months, and boom: the IRS gives the green light for Colony Ridge to become an “Opportunity Zone.” Over the next four years, Harris pours in another $1.4 million in campaign contributions and scores private sit-downs with Abbott, including a cozy six-person dinner. Politics, baby.
Now that the adults are back in charge @RealTomHoman this is Colony Ridge, it’s the size of Manhattan and has become a haven for illegals and trafficking.
Congressman @RepBrianBabin office informed me back in 2020 the administration was going to move forward with raids.… pic.twitter.com/Ac0pCuZeJi
— Merissa Hansen (@merissahansen17) January 21, 2025
Now, the very same development has turned into a logistical nightmare, packed with over 100,000 people, many of whom entered the country illegally. Recent federal raids uncovered drug traffickers, murder suspects, and even a confirmed cartel member living there. So much for the “safe and affordable” marketing pitch.
The optics here are brutal. While Abbott was shipping migrants off to blue states to teach them a lesson, back home he was, perhaps unintentionally, enabling an enclave of illegal immigration to flourish just a short drive from Houston. You can’t blame conservatives for raising their eyebrows—or their pitchforks.
To his credit, Abbott has now unleashed the full force of Texas law enforcement on Colony Ridge. Raids, subpoenas, environmental reviews—you name it. His office insists that the Opportunity Zone designation didn’t cause the problem, and they’re quick to highlight ongoing efforts to clean it up.
But the damage is done. Abbott’s tightrope walk between Texas boosterism and immigration hawkery just got a whole lot shakier. And with Harris now cutting off donations and publicly calling Abbott a backpedaling politician, it’s clear the love affair between developer and governor is over.
The real question is whether conservatives will accept Abbott’s explanation—or remember that while he was pointing fingers at Biden and the blue states, the rot was growing right under his boots in Texas.
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