LIBERTY COUNTY, Texas — A Houston-area neighborhood that Texas Republican lawmakers call a hotspot for undocumented immigrants and crime will be one of several items on the agenda during the third special session.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday that the third special session will begin on Monday, Oct. 9 at 1 p.m., and Colony Ridge, a housing development in Liberty County, will be discussed due to concerns of public safety, security, environmental quality and property ownership.
Colony Ridge is a neighborhood that spans about 10,000 acres. Developers have been selling plots of land to homeowners for about 10 years and it's still growing.
"We took the individual lots and sold them to consumers that end up building themselves a house," developer Trey Harris said. "The development will probably double in size from what it is now."
READ: Texas neighborhood targeted by Republican lawmakers as hotspot for undocumented immigrants, crime
There have been alarming allegations surrounding Colony Ridge. including claims that thousands of undocumented immigrants live there.
"They make it sound as if I send school buses to Mexico City and pick people up and drive them back here and sell them a piece of land, which is the furthest thing from the truth," Harris said. "I would say that we have undocumented immigrants, but most subdivisions in the Houston area have undocumented immigrants in them."
Harris said he's disappointed by the adverse attention Colony Ridge has been receiving in recent weeks, so he invited Texas lawmakers to see for themselves.
"There is a lot of talk about the lawlessness here and cartels living here," said State Rep. Christina Morales. "Great we were invited here to actually see what I going on."
Lawmakers met with Harris and community members behind closed doors Thursday and answered their questions before getting a one-hour tour of the area. They even visited schools and various parts of the community.
At the end of the day, Morales, the only Democrat on the tour said, "I do not believe this is anything to be alarmed about or using taxpayers' dollars to talk about next week in the special session."
Some of the Republicans on the tour said the place looked like any other rural town.
"They were very transparent," said State Rep. Briscoe Cain. "It’s not what the majority are seeing. Looks like places in East Texas. My family's places in Louisiana."
As for the alleged crime and lawlessness, Cain said lawmakers are waiting to get some data about crime statistics to compare it to other towns.
Harris said he has not heard from the Governor's office just yet, but he invites anyone who hasn't been on a tour to come to Colony Ridge to make decisions that are not based on gossip.
The other items on the agenda for Special Session #3 include school vouchers, border security and ending COVID restrictions.