What is Colony Ridge? Greg Abbott Announces Texas Operation Targeting 'Criminals and Illegal Immigrants' That's Been in Works 'For Months'

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced on Monday that state troops are assisting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in an operation in Colony Ridge, a community northeast of Houston.

"Texas DPS Troopers & Special Agents are assisting Homeland Security Investigations, with an operation in Colony Ridge this morning," Abbott said in a publication on X, adding that law enforcement is targeting "criminals & illegal immigrants." "I have worked with Tom Homan on this for months," the governor concluded, making reference to President Donald Trump's border czar.

Colony Ridge, located some 30 miles northeast of downtown Houston, is home to some 40,000 residents, many of them Latinos. Republicans in the state have claimed many of them are undocumented.

KHOU 11 reported that the operation follows a lawsuit filed last year by state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused the developers of Colony Ridge of deceptive trade practices, real estate transaction fraud and violations of more state and federal laws.

Paxton claimed the developers of Colony ridge mostly targeted Latinos with limited credit access and engaged in misleading sales, marketing, and lending practices. They were then sold plots of land that lacked essential infrastructure, generating high foreclosure rates and financial losses for buyers.

There is no information on arrests as immigration enforcement authorities are prioritizing secrecy before such operations after leaks gave away their plans beforehand. In fact, DHS is set to use lie detectors as it seeks to track down leaks.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem issued an internal directive last week saying that polygraphs administered by the agency would include a question about unauthorized communications with media and nonprofits, Bloomberg Government reported.

Responding to the report, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a post on X that the agency "can, should and will polygraph personnel." The message was then reposted by the DHS' official account.

The development follows accusations from Noem and border czar Tom Homan about the danger posed by the leaks. Earlier this month they pointed toward the FBI over leaks regarding upcoming "large scale" ICE immigration raids in Los Angeles.