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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Numerous properties in the Colony Ridge development |
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of Liberty County have been sold to illegal immigrants, resulting |
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in a national security concern that threatens the safety and |
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quality of life in local communities; and |
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WHEREAS, Mortgage lenders are able to offer non-citizens |
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specialized loans that use individual tax identification numbers |
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instead of social security numbers; Colony Ridge Land, LLC, which |
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does business as Terrenos Houston, has sold land to customers using |
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ITIN loans, and its development's population has grown to include |
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an estimated 50,000 to 75,000 residents, many of whom are in the |
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country illegally; in addition, advertisements for Colony Ridge |
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properties have been published in Spanish through international |
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communication channels; and |
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WHEREAS, Colony Ridge and the surrounding area lack |
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sufficient law enforcement presence; this has attracted illegal |
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immigrants as well as cartel activity, and the Gulf and Sinaloa |
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cartels have reportedly purchased land in the development for safe |
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houses, which are used to smuggle drugs and people into the United |
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States; in addition, there is evidence of cartel involvement from |
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early in the development's history, and in 2021, the Drug |
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Enforcement Administration carried out the largest drug bust ever |
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in Liberty County when it raided a multimillion-dollar |
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methamphetamine manufacturing lab located inside a Colony Ridge |
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dwelling; other crimes that have occurred in the area include |
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murders, sexual assaults, and thefts; despite these issues, the |
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Liberty County Sheriff's Office has neglected to check immigration |
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status during routine stops; and |
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WHEREAS, Illegal immigration to Colony Ridge has led to |
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significant changes in the community's way of life; longtime |
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residents have reported disruptions such as excessive noise, |
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gunfire, and loud music; moreover, issues such as flooding, traffic |
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congestion, water pollution, and sewage problems have been |
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attributed to the rapid population growth; and |
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WHEREAS, The Cleveland Independent School District is |
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required to accept local students even if they are non-citizens, |
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and over the past four years, enrollment has increased from 6,584 to |
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12,400; the school district has worked to accommodate the influx of |
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students by building new schools and is reportedly hiring H-1B |
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beneficiaries to serve as foreign language teachers; and |
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WHEREAS, Illegal immigration to the Colony Ridge area has |
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negatively impacted the health, safety, and welfare of local |
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residents, and more must be done to prevent illegal immigrants from |
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settling in Texas communities; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 88th Legislature of the State of Texas, |
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3rd Called Session, hereby call for the thorough investigation of |
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the Colony Ridge development in Liberty County and express support |
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for legislation that prohibits illegal immigrants from purchasing |
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land in communities across Texas. |