[Sobieski at Kahlenberg Mtn.]

YMBI:

Inside Colony Ridge: The ‘Fastest Growing Development’ In The U.S. Is A Magnet For Illegal Immigrants

Experts say growing community of illegal immigrants in Texas development invites cartel activity, is a national security issue

Excerpt:

A Texas land developer has established a sprawling settlement north of Houston where thousands of illegal immigrants are believed to have settled, raising concerns among experts and elected officials that the development 400 miles in the interior of the United States could become a strategic asset for cartels.

Located in Liberty County, Texas near the small town of Plum Grove, the Colony Ridge development is a sprawling community that, based on an analysis of publicly available information, is now over 60 square miles and nearly the size of the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. Its population is estimated to be anywhere between 50,000 to 75,000, and it is growing rapidly thanks to a marketing plan targeted at Texas’ hispanic population.

The Daily Wire surveyed the development by helicopter to assess the true extent of its growth......

Houses on the ground fly the flags of foreign countries and many homes display their addresses on spray painted pieces of plywood. Many structures, some of which are not hooked up to running water, were under construction, while others were unfinished but didn’t appear to be actively getting worked on. At least one plot of land didn’t have any structures at all, just a tent in the corner, nestled between shrubs. Stray dogs without collars could be seen trotting along the side of the underdeveloped streets.

But despite what appears to be poor living conditions throughout much of the development, Colony Ridge is exploding. The view from the sky revealed a sprawling labyrinth of roundabouts and endless rows of sidewalkless streets, with empty plots waiting to be developed......

.....Colony Ridge, owned and operated by developer William “Trey” Harris, is rapidly expanding, at least in part due to a financing arrangement that makes it possible for illegal aliens to buy land deep in the heart of Texas. While traditional financing methods require credit ratings and proof of income, Todd Bensman, a National Security Fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, told The Daily Wire that buyers at Colony Ridge are able to circumvent the usual requirements, even dodging the need to provide a social security number.

“Because with a traditional bank loan you need to be able to show that you have a credit rating and proof of income,” Bensman said, adding that buyers at Colony Ridge are asked to pay as little as a “few hundred dollars” as a down payment. “The loan is directly from the developer, bypassing traditional mortgages,” and while the buyer might pay high interest rates near 15%, it’s a great deal for someone with no other option to buy land in the country, Bensman explained.

Doing business as Terrenos Houston (which translates to Houston Land), the company appears to market its property entirely in Spanish, telling prospective buyers they can own land in the United States. An advertisement posted on the Instagram page for Terrenos Houston appears to target those who are either not currently living in the United States or who are not citizens of the country. The caption of the post, written in Spanish, roughly translates to “Still renting? Own land in the United States!”

(See link for app and graphic)

.....But in addition to marketing to those who might want to “own land in the United States,” many of the development’s employees appear to be foreign nationals, living in Colombia and other Latin American countries, according to the Terrenos Houston LinkedIn profile.

The plots of land come with nothing on them and at an affordable price — the current offer is two adjacent plots of land for $65,000, with the buyers responsible for constructing a place to live.

.....Michael Yon, an independent journalist who has repeatedly flown over and driven through Colony Ridge to document its expansion, projects that the development will soon house hundreds of thousands.

“I don’t know how many live there now, but this is going to be big enough for 200,000 people,” Yon told The Daily Wire. “They’re actually building a city.”

William Trey Harris, the developer, did not respond to request for comment. Within days of the initial inquiry, however, an article was published by The Center Square featuring “exclusive” comment from both Harris and his attorney to push back against claims that Colony Ridge has become the “largest illegal alien settlement in Texas.”

In it, Harris and his lawyer state that the company does not advertise outside of the United States, but acknowledge that accommodations are made for applicants who may not have a social security number. “Depending on the application, customers provide Social Security numbers, ITINs, Texas driver’s licenses, state IDs, passports and other forms of identification,” Harris explained to the outlet, which goes on to state that there is nothing illegal about noncitizens buying land in the United States and that property developers are not legally required to check immigration status — that’s on the federal government’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, it contends

.....“There’s very thin law enforcement presence in that area,” he added. “It’s appealing because they plan to live and work illegally. That means that they probably have to break a whole lot of different kinds of laws in order to buy vehicles and drive the vehicles and maybe show documents to potential employers. When people buy here, they’re buying peace of mind from law enforcement.”

.....Republican congressman Brian Babin, who represents a neighboring Texas district and also recently surveyed the development by helicopter, says Colony Ridge has doubled in size in recent years and is concerned about cartel activity.

Representative Babin is not the only one concerned about potential cartel activity in the area. Members of law enforcement in the area explained that members of the Gulf and Sinaloa cartels had invested in Colony Ridge properties early on in order to set up safe houses for human and drug smuggling operations, Bensman reports in his book.

.....The site and the surrounding area have been the site of both drug-related and violent crime, including a gang and narcotics case that began with reports of gunfire exchanges, as well as the murder of a mother of five by a Mexican woman who reportedly practiced Santeria, and was married to a high ranking Mexican cartel member.

Last year, a 16-year old girl was found dead from a gunshot wound in a ditch in Colony Ridge. And earlier this year an illegal immigrant in the area killed five neighbors, a family who was also here illegally, after they reportedly asked him to stop firing his semi-automatic rifle into the air late one night.

Cartel activity in the area appears to date back until at least the early 2010’s, with agents from five different federal agencies and law enforcement in Liberty County having discovered a massive marijuana growing operation in 2013. The sophisticated operation included guard towers and a 20 foot-deep irrigation pond the size of a football field. More than $4 million worth of marijuana was recovered.

The massive pocket of illegal immigrants in the backyard of America’s fourth largest city has somehow avoided serious scrutiny, and critics point the finger at some Texas lawmakers who have made a career out of calling for a strong border.

“There are some serious allegations that Republican politicians are involved in the development,” Chris Russo, the President of Texans for Strong Borders, told The Daily Wire, citing “massive political donations that’ve been made by the developers.”

Russo pointed to Texas’ Republican governor, Greg Abbott, who has taken $1.4 million in political contributions from Trey Harris, according to campaign records. Harris’ wife, Celeste Harris, also donated $100,000 to Abbott’s campaign in 2018, records show. Her occupation is listed as “Colony Ridge Development.”
When asked about the large political contributions, Abbott’s office did not return a comment.

Other Republicans who have received money from Harris include Texas congressman Morgan Luttrell, who received three maximum contributions of $2,900 in the 2022 cycle. Luttrell told The Daily Wire he “just recently learned” about Colony Ridge.

.....Harris has also made political contributions to state lawmakers in the area. He donated $5,000 to State Rep. Briscoe Cain, who represents neighboring house district 128, in 2020. Cain did not respond to a request for comment.

Harris also donated $1,800 to State Rep. Ernest Bailes, who represents House District 18, where Colony Ridge is located. With Bailes, the financial web grows more complicated — public records indicate that a construction and development company owned by a family member of Bailes was hired to conduct a massive project for Colony Ridge.

R&T Ellis, a pipeline construction, earthwork, and clearing company, paved the way for Colony Ridge’s expansion. The company boasted in 2018 that they helped build the “largest roller-compacted concrete development in the world,” referencing just one portion of the Colony Ridge development that consisted of 6,400 lots, 4,400 acres, and over 70 miles of road. The company is owned by Randy Ellis — who appears to be a cousin of Bailes. He was also the single biggest donor to Bailes in the 2020 election cycle, contributing $10,000 in the 2020 election cycle and $1,000 in 2017.

.....State records show that Colony Ridge has spent anywhere from $221,750 to $482,879 for the services of lobbyist Chuck Rice and attorney Natalie Scott at Coat and Rose. Coat and Rose’s political action committee donated $6,500 to Bailes.

.....Harris conceded to Center Square that Colony Ridge allows purchasers to use individual taxpayer identification numbers rather than social security numbers on applications — an option that has been highlighted by pro-illegal immigration groups as a way for migrants to get a foothold in the United States.

The National Immigration Law Center, a group that advocates on behalf of illegal immigrants and has received over $2 million from liberal billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Foundation, cites individual taxpayer identification numbers as useful tools for illegal immigrants hoping to obtain a mortgage. California-based activist organization Immigrants Rising also boasts that “People who are ineligible for a Social Security number can apply for an Individual Tax Identification Number, regardless of immigration status.”

Though Harris and his legal team maintain they’re doing nothing illegal, national security experts say the danger posed by developments like Colony Ridge will only get worse as illegal immigrants flood the country.

“Think of the chain migration that comes in, think of the criminal elements with the cartels that come in through that chain migration,” J. Michael Waller, Senior Analyst for Strategy at the Center for Security Policy told The Daily Wire. “This is going to be cartel land near Houston and at risk of being a no-go zone.”

Waller said developments like Colony Ridge will “change the entire United States of America,” and to a large extent, already have, going on to suggest that similar settlements are “being planted in pockets around the country.”

“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,” he added before lamenting “This is just symptomatic of the destruction of our country.”
*************

Links to articles cited in story:

https://dallasexpress.com/state/violent-crime-tied-to-cartel-backed-tx-migrant-colony/

https://www.colonyridge.com/comfeature/34000-acre-development-with-35k-residents-and-9300-rooftops/

https://www.transparencyusa.org/tx/candidate/ernest-j-bailes-iv-coh?cycle=2020-election-cycle

https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?data_type=processed&committee_id=C00781112&contributor_employer=Colony+Ridge&contributor_employer=Colony+Ridge+Development&contributor_employer=Colony+Ridge+LLC&contributor_employer=Terrenos+Houston&two_year_transaction_period=2022&line_number=F3-11AI

https://www.transparencyusa.org/tx/contributor/celeste-harris/contributions?cycle=2015-to-now

https://www.transparencyusa.org/tx/contributor/william-harris/contributions?cycle=2015-to-now

https://bluebonnetnews.com/2022/09/04/homicide-investigation-underway-in-colony-ridge-community/

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/29/us/shooting-texas-san-jacinto.html

https://bluebonnetnews.com/2023/07/13/executor-gets-life-mexican-woman-who-betrayed-and-killed-friend-will-spend-life-in-prison/

https://bluebonnetnews.com/2021/12/09/lcso-deputies-pct-6-constables-office-arrest-suspects-in-plum-grove-area-for-alleged-gang-activity/

https://townhall.com/columnists/chris-russo/2023/07/13/largest-settlement-of-illegal-aliens-in-us-is-quietly-growing-amid-border-crisis-n2625642

https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article_30822ab0-46c3-11ee-b0ae-3799b5edf2c2.html

[Sobieski at Kahlenberg Mtn.]

Link to article:

https://www.dailywire.com/news/inside-colony-ridge-the-fastest-growing-development-in-the-u-s-is-a-magnet-for-illegal-immigrants

[Sobieski at Kahlenberg Mtn.]

Mass migrations have always put an end to weak and declining civilizations

Civilizations are mortal. We know of entire worlds disappearing, of empires collapsing. It is happening again.

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/377148

Excerpt:

.....History teaches that all civilizations, regardless of technological level, are subject to mass migrations once they reach senescence and that, sooner or later, they see their identities and social cohesion threatened.

In 2022 alone, the European Union welcomed 1 million asylum seekers, not counting the flows of regular immigrants. Even if the numbers remained the same, by the end of the century they would be 100 million out of a population of 400 million, a third of whom are over 65. The repopulation and change of civilization would be complete.

.....European countries in the 20th and 21st centuries have mortgaged their future with a series of individual decisions in what the historian Georges Bensoussan has defined as “the great demographic-migration shock”.

Sweden. In 1975 it introduced multiculturalism with the social democratic prime minister Olof Palme. Fast forward to 2014, when Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt called on fellow citizens to “open their hearts” to refugees from around the world: “I ask the Swedish people to be patient and supportive, in the long term we will create a better world.” In one year, Sweden welcomed 163,000 people. The equivalent of 1.6 percent of the total population. As if Italy had let in 600,000 migrants in a year. Sweden never recovered.

France. 1976 is the year of Valéry Giscard d’Estaing’s “family reunion”. The idea of bringing immigrant families seemed, at the time, natural and right. But with the massive increase in immigration from Muslim countries this has proven to be a fatal mistake. Raymond Barre suspended it for three years, before the Council of State annulled the decision, arguing that family reunification was “now part of the general principles of law”. It starts with the wife and her children, then come the wife’s parents, the other children of the wife’s parents and their children. And so on, in a demographic chain that has become repopulation.

Germany. Here, more than a date (31 August 2015), there is the slogan: “Wir schaffen das”. One million Muslim Syrians enter. Europe’s most powerful country told the others: “The EU’s external borders will not be defended.”

Belgium. The liberal senator Alain Destexhe in the book “Immigration et Intégration: avant qu’il ne soit trop tard” writes: “Relative to its population, Belgium has experienced a more important migration shock than France, Germany or the Netherlands! In twenty years, Belgium has naturalized 600,000 to 700,000 people, that is, 5 or 6 percent of the population, not to mention illegal immigrants and asylum seekers. From 2000 to 2010, Belgium welcomed more than one million migrants out of a population of eleven million.”

What scenarios await Europe regarding immigration?

The answer, even more pessimistic than mine, is provided by a book written by a French scholar, Stephen Smith, and the book is “Escape to Europe. Young Africa towards the old continent”. “The situation is reminiscent of Mexico in the 1970s,” Smith writes about Europe. “Before that time, only a small portion of the population could scrape together the means to cross the Rio Grande and settle in the United States. Between 1975 and 2010, ten million Mexicans immigrated to America both legally and illegally. In all, including their U.S.-born children, Mexican-Americans now form a community of 30 million people, 10 percent of the U.S. population. If Africans followed that example between now and 2050, Europe’s population would include 150 to 200 million African-Europeans, counting immigrants and their children. In just over thirty years, between a fifth and a quarter of the population in Europe would be of African origin. I can imagine how Europeans might tremble at the thought. Their fears are not unfounded at all.”

The scenario that Smith calls “Eurafrica”. Solutions? The first is what Smith calls “Fortress Europe”. “Jean-Christophe Rufin – with acumen bordering on clairvoyance – predicted this after the fall of the Berlin Wall in his 1991 book ‘L’Empire et les nouveaux barbares’: the reconstruction of a limes – the border wall of Roman Empire – as a means of protecting European civilization. But the dams that can be erected will not be enough to stop the many waves that await us.” The second solution is the “return to the protectorate”. Taking charge of Africa again. But in the time of atonement, of woke, of cultural decolonization and of the permanent process of “Eurocentric civilization”, we would no longer be capable of it.

Paul Valéry said it in 1919: “We know that civilizations are mortal. We had heard of entire worlds disappearing, of empires collapsing. We saw through the depth of history, the ghosts of immensity, the ships full of wealth and spirit.”

Will Europe be able to preserve its ship of Theseus, escaping the disastrous fate of the sinking of civilizations and ensuring that Judeo-Christian treasures reach the shores of the next generations?