By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-29 17:53:06 | Updated at 2025-01-01 16:26:10
2 days ago
A lone state official in Texas may hold the key to Donald Trump and border czar Tom Homan's plans to deport millions of undocumented migrants.
Dawn Buckingham is the straight-shooting Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office.
A staunch Republican and proud Trump fan, she has agreed to help Trump and Homan carry out the largest deportations in US history.
She'll do it by making all of the state's 13 million acres available to the incoming Trump administration to use as they see fit - paving the way for monster deportation centers and processing facilities.
('Homan) said it is very helpful to be able to use state land because if the federal government had to acquire land and go through that process, it takes them a long time, so we would be able to move a lot quicker,' Buckingham said in an interview with the DailyMail.com.
'I think urgency is the priority for sure - getting these violent criminals off of our soil who are hurting our sons and daughters.'
Homan has already accepted Buckingham's use of a monster ranch on the border in the state's Rio Grande Valley.
The 1,402 acre property could be used to build a detention center for migrants.
Dawn Buckingham is the straight-talking Texan who holds the key to Trump and Homan's mass deportation success
Pictured: Buckingham with Trump at Mar-a-Lago
Pictured: Buckingham, the straight-shooting Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office
'They'd be moving in and out,' Homan told Dr. Phil of how long migrants might stay at the facility.
'One day, we might have a flight to the El Salvadoran nations; the next day, we might have a flight to Asia.
'There's 1,400 acres of land. That saves us from having to acquire that land. The government never buys things real fast. When we do, we overpay for it, so having this from the state of Texas is great.'
Considering that everything is bigger in Texas, it seems fitting that Buckingham has super-sized her role as the head of the GLO.
Despite the agency being the steward of 13 million acres and the Alamo, most Texans don't know the name of any given GLO commissioner.
George P. Bush, the grandson of former President George H.W. Bush (41) and nephew of former President George W. Bush (43) held the title from 2015 to 2022.
Even with this political dynasty background, former GLO Commissioner Bush didn't politicize the role or get the amount of camera time that Buckingham has.
Since she granted the Trump administration use of the ranch for deportations, Buckingham has been on a media blitz, appearing on Dr. Phil, Fox News, podcasts and interviewing with local TV stations across the Lone Star State.
PICTURED ABOVE: The 1,402 ranch offered to Trump by Texas officials to use for his mass deportations of migrants. The land is located west of McAllen
'I'm really excited about how we've changed the public perception of the General Land Office,' she said when asked about her new approach to her job.
Before Buckingham was elected to the position in 2022, she was voted into the Texas senate in 2016 in a landslide runoff election after a successful career as an occuplastic and reconstructive surgeon.
'I became a doctor to help people,' she told the DailyTrib.com after her election. 'As a doctor and surgeon, I can help my patients, and I love doing that. As a member of the senate, I can help millions of people.'
It was at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, studying to be a doctor, where Buckingham met her future husband Ed - who is also a surgeon.
More than 30 years of marriage later, the two share a son and daughter together.
After becoming a state senator, she served Texas in that role up until she was sworn in as Land Commissioner of Texas.
The Republican has been an outspoken advocate of Gov. Greg Abbott's plan to secure the border, which includes building a state border wall, adding a floating barrier in the river meant to deter or drown migrants, and busing asylum-seekers away from the border to northern cities like New York and Chicago.
She takes credit for helping to secure the border.
Before Buckingham was elected to the position in 2022, she was voted into the Texas senate in 2016 in a landslide runoff election after a successful career as an occuplastic and reconstructive surgeon
It was at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, studying to be a doctor, where Buckingham met her future husband Ed - who is also a surgeon
More than 30 years of marriage later, the two share a son and daughter together
Last year, she led an effort by the Republican-led state to take control of an island in the Rio Grande.
Each country owns their half of the river, and the 170 acre island near Roma, Texas, has long been considered a no-man's land due to concerns about interfering with the flow of the river.
Texas's assistance will also save the Trump administration millions - a much-needed advantage since the cost of deporting one million illegal immigrants is expected to cost $88 billion a year.
Trump has vowed to deport at least 20 million people from the US, which may include removing American citizens, as well.
US-born child whose parents are in the US illegally could be rounded up and sent away, Homan told 60 Minutes when asked if there was a way to deport migrants without separating families.
'Of course there is,' Homan replied.
'Families can be deported together.'
After becoming a state senator in 2017, she served Texas in that role up until she was sworn in as Land Commissioner of Texas
A physician turned politician, Dawn Buckingham, M.D. is the current commissioner of the Texas General Land Office. The state agency is in charge of the 13 million acres of land owned by the Lone Star State, including the Alamo in San Antonio
Commissioner Buckingham and @RealTomHoman will work together to keep American families safe.
On @DrPhil Primetime, incoming border czar Tom Homan accepted Commissioner Buckingham's offer to lease over 1,400 acres of state land for the Trump Administration to conduct border… pic.twitter.com/xUn3JmVsCA
Acquired by Texas in October from a private land owner, the site sits in Starr County, about 35 miles west of McAllen.
Lone Star State officials are building another section of the state's version of the border wall on the land, which sits directly on the Rio Grande - the river that separates the US and Mexico and acts as the international boundary.
However, the GLO commissioner has also zeroed in on El Paso as another possible site for deportations.
'We have land all over the state, but we've identified especially some areas near El Paso that we think are particularly helpful but we're prepared to sit down with Homan's team at any point necessary and show them what we have,' she explained.'
However, the West Texas city is staunchly Democrat and residents are likely to oppose deportations in their own backyard.
'El Paso is an interesting part of the state because we almost have them landlocked,' Buckingham added.
'They've got Mexico on one side, New Mexico on the other side and us basically surrounding the city. We have a lot of property in the city and then also in the outskirts. So we've identified several of those tracks.'
The Republican has been an outspoken advocate of Gov. Greg Abbott's plan to secure the border, which includes building a state border wall, adding a floating barrier in the river meant to deter or drown migrants, and busing asylum-seekers away from the border to northern cities like New York and Chicago
El Paso, Texas' sixth largest city located at the western-most tip of the state, is located directly on the US-Mexico border. The map above shows all the state-owned land in blue that has been offered by Republican state leaders to President-elect Donald Trump for mass deportations
Despite political opposition, El Paso leaders may be powerless to stop deportations taking place there.
'As immigration is a federal issue, the City of El Paso does not have jurisdiction over policies or operations related to deportations,' city spokeswoman Laura Cruz-Acosta told DailyMail.com in a statement.
'However, the City has always believed in a compassionate approach to addressing immigration challenges. We strongly urge the federal government to prioritize reforming our immigration policies to create a more effective and equitable system.'
The border czar's team has yet to request any tours of the land that has been offered up. The state doesn't have a timeframe when the deportations might starts up, but Buckingham said it wouldn't be long after Jan. 20.
'It sounds to me like they are really working hard. It is all hands on deck,' she added.
'They're going to have a comprehensive plan developed and I think they're going to work quickly and we just want to be here to facilitate whatever it is that they need, and get the job done.'
GLO Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, 56, is the first woman to hold the job
Terrifying footage shows black-clad cartel gunmen on Fronton Island in November 2023. Buckingham led an effort to take control of the island, that sits in the Rio Grande, between the US and Mexico
Despite the gunmen being captured on surveillance video, they fled back to Mexico before US authorities could catch them
A map of Fronton Island shows its position on the US-Mexico border
With neither country claiming it, Mexican cartels seized on Fronton Island to use it for drug and human trafficking.
Last year, Buckingham insisted her agency's research proved Fronton Island is owned by Texas, giving law enforcement permission to take control.
In November 2023, images of armed cartel members sneaking onto the island emerged.
That same month, state troopers and Texas National Guard soldiers seized the 'lawless' isle, installing 1.4 miles of triple-strand concertina wire along the shore and clearing the land to deny the cartels any place to hide.
'Making Texas bigger by claiming those islands in the Rio Grande as Texas, and taking away the law enforcement-free safe haven that the cartels were enjoying and getting free operational control of that part of the border. That was just fun and easy' she said.
Texas control of Fronton Island has already stirred up controversy with the federal government, who told the state it owns the water-locked parcel.
'We would also like to point out that trespassing onto Federal land may have occurred as a result of the previously unapproved completed work,' a letter from the International Boundary and Water Commission, the federal agency in charge of the Rio Grande, states.
The feds demanded that Texas officials vacate the land and turn over a schedule of the state’s plan to surrender the island.
The GLO confirmed that it had not done so, instead submitting maps showing the island is state property.
