The Fall of Colony Ridge: How a Texas Mega-Development Got Brought to Heel

Colony Ridge Settlement Details

• 🎯 A $68 million settlement was reached between the Colony Ridge development, the Trump Department of Justice, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
• 💰 $20 million is allocated to build a police center within Colony Ridge to address violent crime, drug activity, and cartel presence, with local law enforcement deputized for deportations.
• 🛠️ An additional $50 million is designated for infrastructure improvements to fix issues with bad land and flood problems, making the area more habitable.
• ✅ New provisions require traditional loans and a Texas-issued ID or a legal visa issued since 2025, effectively preventing illegal immigrants from purchasing land in the development.

Controversial Business Model

• 💡 The development's marketing strategy was exclusively aimed at foreign populations, primarily illegal immigrants, with advertisements in Spanish promoting land ownership in the U.S.
• 💸 Colony Ridge offered unconventional bank loans that did not require a social security number, but came with sky-high interest rates (13-15%) and often involved selling poor-quality, uninhabitable land.
• ⚖️ The Biden administration's CFPB initially sued the development, alleging a predatory lending and bait-and-switch scheme against Hispanic populations.

Public Safety and Infrastructure Concerns

• ⚠️ The rapid influx of people led to Colony Ridge becoming a hub for violent crime and drug activity, with the Sinaloa and Gulf cartels reportedly establishing a presence.
• 🚨 A perceived lack of law enforcement presence, including ICE and local police not routinely checking immigration status, contributed to the area's high crime rates.
• 🏫 The development significantly strained local infrastructure in nearby Plum Grove, impacting sewage systems and forcing the Cleveland Independent School District to finance new schools and hire bilingual teachers due to a surge in non-English speaking students.

Political Connections and Allegations

• 🗳️ Developer William Trey Harris III and his family made significant political donations (over $1 million) to prominent Republican politicians, including Governor Greg Abbott and Congressman Morgan Latrell.
• 🔍 These donations raised questions and the appearance of inaction regarding the issues at Colony Ridge, with critics suggesting they influenced oversight.
• 🗣️ U.S. Representative Brian Babin, who received no donations from Harris, was one of the most outspoken critics, warning of cartel activity and the development's uncontrolled growth.

Broader Implications

• 🌍 Experts warned that such developments create **