Texas Launches ‘Jocelyn Initiative’ To Build Deportation Centers On Day One Of Trump Presidency
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham launched the “Jocelyn Initiative” on Tuesday, a plan to build deportation facilities on state land starting on the first day of Donald Trump’s presidency. The initiative is named after 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, a Texas girl whose brutal murder at the hands of undocumented immigrants has become a flashpoint of immigration.
“I meant it when I said that I will do everything in my power to help this administration,” Buckingham started. “The new project that the General Land Office is going to embark in that I have created is the Jocelyn Initiative, in which we will locate appropriate land under my jurisdiction to lease for the construction of violent criminal deportation facilities.”
“My office has identified several of our properties and is standing by ready to make this happen on day one of the Trump presidency,” Buckingham said. “We are going to do everything in our power to ensure no other parent has to feel the pain that Alexis and Jacqueline are feeling right now. We have seen what happens when sanctuary cities release illegal immigrants back onto the streets.”
“The monsters who took the life of Jocelyn have been caught in El Paso, but were soon let out and made their way to Houston and committed an unspeakable crime.”
The killing of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in North Houston, Texas left a community grieving and sparked a nationwide conversation about immigration policies. In June, Jocelyn’s body was found in a creek near her home. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled after reportedly sneaking out of her house and encountering two men who lured her away.
The suspects, Johan José Martínez-Rangel, 22, and Franklin José Peña Ramos, 26, are undocumented immigrants from Venezuela. Both men were charged with capital murder shortly after the discovery of Jocelyn’s body. A grand jury later added charges of kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault.
The case took a controversial turn when it was revealed that Martínez-Rangel and Peña Ramos had been apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol earlier in 2024 near El Paso. Both were released into the U.S. with notices to appear in court—a standard practice that has faced increasing scrutiny. Jocelyn’s family and community have expressed their outrage.
The initiative is framed as a direct response to such incidents. Under Buckingham’s plan, state-owned land managed by the Texas General Land Office will be leased for the construction of facilities specifically designed to detain undocumented immigrants with violent criminal records. The goal is to ensure swift deportation while avoiding the release of individuals deemed dangerous.
The timing of the announcement aligns with Donald Trump’s upcoming return to the White House. During his campaign, Trump pledged to prioritize immigration enforcement and dismantle sanctuary city policies. Buckingham, a staunch Trump ally, said the state is prepared to act immediately to support his administration’s agenda.
The initiative’s rollout will likely become a key test of Trump’s immigration policies as they take shape in his second term. For Texas, the message is clear: the state is ready to act decisively.