Colony Ridge, Texas, targeted in immigration operation

Colony Ridge, a community located north of Houston, was the target of an immigration operation on Monday morning, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said.

Colony Ridge immigration operation

What we know:

Gov. Abbott wrote on X that Texas DPS troopers and special agents were assisting Homeland Security Investigations with an operation.

The governor said they were "targeting criminals & illegal immigrants."

Gov. Abbott also said he had been working with border czar Tom Homan "on this for months".

What we don't know:

It’s unclear if anyone has been detained or how many.

What they're saying:

The operation prompted a press conference from the immigrant-led civil rights organization, FIEL. 

"Just as we got here about an hour and a half ago, we saw well over a dozen traffic stops happening along this main road," said Cesar Espinoza, the executive director for FIEL Houston. "It seems like they’re just pulling people over and then escalating that from there." 

"There were police at the Family Dollar, and they were taking some people. And my mom, she got scared, and she was like, ‘we don’t want our family to be like them," said one Colony Ridge resident, who didn't want to be shown on camera.

A representative of Family Dollar said, "No Family Dollar customers or employees were detained during the visit."

In reaction to the operation, Cesar Espinosa, Executive Director of FIEL, said, "We stand in solidarity with our community by informing them of their rights and denouncing the wave of terror directed at the Colony Ridge communities by the governor. We will be in front of Cottonwood School to inform the press about the fear these families experience when returning home from work or school, only to find that a loved one is missing."

Colony Ridge controversy

The backstory:

FOX 26 reported on Colony Ridge in 2023, due to the controversy surrounding the community of 40,000. There were claims that the neighborhood had a large population of undocumented immigrants, and some lawmakers even claimed Mexican drug cartels controlled parts of it. Gov. Abbott called on lawmakers to investigate.

Trey Harris, co-owner of Colony Ridge, told FOX 26 at the time that lawmakers were "misinformed" and said most of the property owners were U.S. citizens.

"A very small percentage of our customers, that may perhaps be undocumented, and they're status here is questionable," he said.

Harris said he was giving low-income families an opportunity to be homeowners – he sells the property and the buyer builds the home.

Harris told FOX 26 in 2023 that he required two forms of ID, a down payment usually around $500, and a good U.S. address. He said he doesn't ask for a social security number, which he said isn't required by law.

As reported by the Texas Tribune in 2024, Texas Attorney General Ken Patxon sued the developers of Colony Ridge, accusing them of deceptive sales, marketing and lending practices. Developer John Harris said there was no merit to the allegations.

Dig deeper:

Owner of Colony Ridge responds to claims the community northeast of Houston is haven for illegal immigrants

• Texas sues Colony Ridge development for fraudulent real estate practices