The Human Touch Revealing All that is Real
Inside Colony Ridge: The ‘Fastest Growing Development’ In The U.S. Is A Magnet For Illegal Immigrants
Other Republicans who have received money from Harris include Texas congressman Morgan Luttrell, who received three maximum contributions of $2,900 in the 2022 cycle. Luttrell told The Daily Wire he "just recently learned" about Colony Ridge.
"I just recently learned about this area, and although it is not in my district, I am supporting Congressman Babin's efforts to address any concerns or wrongdoings and protect our neighbors," Luttrell said, referencing his colleague who has been critical of the development.
"We are working closely with local elected officials and law enforcement to determine what actions we can take to address problems that may exist," he said, specifically highlighting "cartel presence," "gang activity," and "trafficking."
"Regardless of any donation amount, the Congressman is beholden to no one," his spokesman added when pressed on the campaign contributions, though he would not say whether he would return the contributions, or accept more in the future.
Harris has also made political contributions to state lawmakers in the area. He donated $5,000 to State Rep. Briscoe Cain, who represents neighboring house district 128, in 2020. Cain did not respond to a request for comment.
Harris also donated $1,800 to State Rep. Ernest Bailes, who represents House District 18, where Colony Ridge is located. With Bailes, the financial web grows more complicated - public records indicate that a construction and development company owned by a family member of Bailes was hired to conduct a massive project for Colony Ridge.
R&T Ellis, a pipeline construction, earthwork, and clearing company, paved the way for Colony Ridge's expansion. The company boasted in 2018 that they helped build the "largest roller-compacted concrete development in the world," referencing just one portion of the Colony Ridge development that consisted of 6,400 lots, 4,400 acres, and over 70 miles of road. The company is owned by Randy Ellis - who appears to be a cousin of Bailes. He was also the single biggest donor to Bailes in the 2020 election cycle, contributing $10,000 in the 2020 election cycle and $1,000 in 2017.
Entergy, the energy company that services all six of the subdivisions that comprise Colony Ridge, also contributed $9,000 to Bailes through its political action committee, across the 2018, 2020, and 2022 election cycles.
State records show that Colony Ridge has spent anywhere from $221,750 to $482,879 for the services of lobbyist Chuck Rice and attorney Natalie Scott at Coat and Rose. Coat and Rose's political action committee donated $6,500 to Bailes.
Bailes did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Daily Wire.
Russo says lawmakers should launch a "full scale investigation into the development." He's concerned that if Colony Ridge isn't stopped in Texas, the business model could be adopted elsewhere.
"The state should take an interest in banning these types of loans that have enabled it to become a magnet for illegal aliens," Russo said. "When you see the expansion it suggests that this is a very profitable enterprise."
While it remains unclear exactly how many people live at Colony Ridge, estimates suggest that the population in the development could include tens of thousands of illegal aliens.
A Texas Public Policy Foundation report from 2020 contended that there were approximately 20,000 residents living in Colony Ridge at the time. The number has since surged, with Colony Ridge itself stating in January that their Santa Fe development, just one of six developments that make up the entire operation, has 35,000 residents.
"Prior to the outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic, the population of Colony Ridge's master planned Houston El Norte communities was on a trajectory to surpass 100,000 in just a few short years," the three year-old report reads. It notes that the development could eventually balloon to more than a quarter-million residents.
The January statement added that the developer was "selling 200-250 lots every week, growing on average 150-200 new rooftops per month," and called it "the fastest growing development in the U.S."
The Texas Public Policy Foundation report said Liberty County was now home to "the fastest-growing Hispanic population in the United States," and that the local Cleveland Independent School District is struggling to manage more than 100 new enrollments every month, forcing the residents to sign up for $300 million in bonds to finance four new schools and the expansion of a fifth. The district has also struggled with the sudden surge of students who are not proficient in English, and is now offering $7,000 annual stipends to bilingual teachers.
The town of Plum Grove sued Colony Ridge in 2020, alleging that the development was responsible for flooding and that it failed to contain sewage, but a judge ruled that Colony Ridge was not to blame, according to local press. Harris struck back a year later and sued the city officials, accusing them of "impeding" his business operations. Part of the lawsuit focused on the city government's decision to hire a Houston-based private investigator named Wayne Dolcefino to look into the Colony Ridge development. The lawsuit claimed that it was an "attempt to smear the reputation" of Colony Ridge. His case was dismissed.
Harris conceded to Center Square that Colony Ridge allows purchasers to use individual taxpayer identification numbers rather than social security numbers on applications - an option that has been highlighted by pro-illegal immigration groups as a way for migrants to get a foothold in the United States.
The National Immigration Law Center, a group that advocates on behalf of illegal immigrants and has received over $2 million from liberal billionaire George Soros' Open Society Foundation, cites individual taxpayer identification numbers as useful tools for illegal immigrants hoping to obtain a mortgage. California-based activist organization Immigrants Rising also boasts that "People who are ineligible for a Social Security number can apply for an Individual Tax Identification Number, regardless of immigration status."
Though Harris and his legal team maintain they're doing nothing illegal, national security experts say the danger posed by developments like Colony Ridge will only get worse as illegal immigrants flood the country.
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"I just recently learned about this area, and although it is not in my district, I am supporting Congressman Babin's efforts to address any concerns or wrongdoings and protect our neighbors," Luttrell said, referencing his colleague who has been critical of the development.
"We are working closely with local elected officials and law enforcement to determine what actions we can take to address problems that may exist," he said, specifically highlighting "cartel presence," "gang activity," and "trafficking."
"Regardless of any donation amount, the Congressman is beholden to no one," his spokesman added when pressed on the campaign contributions, though he would not say whether he would return the contributions, or accept more in the future.
Harris has also made political contributions to state lawmakers in the area. He donated $5,000 to State Rep. Briscoe Cain, who represents neighboring house district 128, in 2020. Cain did not respond to a request for comment.
Harris also donated $1,800 to State Rep. Ernest Bailes, who represents House District 18, where Colony Ridge is located. With Bailes, the financial web grows more complicated - public records indicate that a construction and development company owned by a family member of Bailes was hired to conduct a massive project for Colony Ridge.
R&T Ellis, a pipeline construction, earthwork, and clearing company, paved the way for Colony Ridge's expansion. The company boasted in 2018 that they helped build the "largest roller-compacted concrete development in the world," referencing just one portion of the Colony Ridge development that consisted of 6,400 lots, 4,400 acres, and over 70 miles of road. The company is owned by Randy Ellis - who appears to be a cousin of Bailes. He was also the single biggest donor to Bailes in the 2020 election cycle, contributing $10,000 in the 2020 election cycle and $1,000 in 2017.
Entergy, the energy company that services all six of the subdivisions that comprise Colony Ridge, also contributed $9,000 to Bailes through its political action committee, across the 2018, 2020, and 2022 election cycles.
State records show that Colony Ridge has spent anywhere from $221,750 to $482,879 for the services of lobbyist Chuck Rice and attorney Natalie Scott at Coat and Rose. Coat and Rose's political action committee donated $6,500 to Bailes.
Bailes did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Daily Wire.
Russo says lawmakers should launch a "full scale investigation into the development." He's concerned that if Colony Ridge isn't stopped in Texas, the business model could be adopted elsewhere.
"The state should take an interest in banning these types of loans that have enabled it to become a magnet for illegal aliens," Russo said. "When you see the expansion it suggests that this is a very profitable enterprise."
While it remains unclear exactly how many people live at Colony Ridge, estimates suggest that the population in the development could include tens of thousands of illegal aliens.
A Texas Public Policy Foundation report from 2020 contended that there were approximately 20,000 residents living in Colony Ridge at the time. The number has since surged, with Colony Ridge itself stating in January that their Santa Fe development, just one of six developments that make up the entire operation, has 35,000 residents.
"Prior to the outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic, the population of Colony Ridge's master planned Houston El Norte communities was on a trajectory to surpass 100,000 in just a few short years," the three year-old report reads. It notes that the development could eventually balloon to more than a quarter-million residents.
The January statement added that the developer was "selling 200-250 lots every week, growing on average 150-200 new rooftops per month," and called it "the fastest growing development in the U.S."
The Texas Public Policy Foundation report said Liberty County was now home to "the fastest-growing Hispanic population in the United States," and that the local Cleveland Independent School District is struggling to manage more than 100 new enrollments every month, forcing the residents to sign up for $300 million in bonds to finance four new schools and the expansion of a fifth. The district has also struggled with the sudden surge of students who are not proficient in English, and is now offering $7,000 annual stipends to bilingual teachers.
The town of Plum Grove sued Colony Ridge in 2020, alleging that the development was responsible for flooding and that it failed to contain sewage, but a judge ruled that Colony Ridge was not to blame, according to local press. Harris struck back a year later and sued the city officials, accusing them of "impeding" his business operations. Part of the lawsuit focused on the city government's decision to hire a Houston-based private investigator named Wayne Dolcefino to look into the Colony Ridge development. The lawsuit claimed that it was an "attempt to smear the reputation" of Colony Ridge. His case was dismissed.
Harris conceded to Center Square that Colony Ridge allows purchasers to use individual taxpayer identification numbers rather than social security numbers on applications - an option that has been highlighted by pro-illegal immigration groups as a way for migrants to get a foothold in the United States.
The National Immigration Law Center, a group that advocates on behalf of illegal immigrants and has received over $2 million from liberal billionaire George Soros' Open Society Foundation, cites individual taxpayer identification numbers as useful tools for illegal immigrants hoping to obtain a mortgage. California-based activist organization Immigrants Rising also boasts that "People who are ineligible for a Social Security number can apply for an Individual Tax Identification Number, regardless of immigration status."
Though Harris and his legal team maintain they're doing nothing illegal, national security experts say the danger posed by developments like Colony Ridge will only get worse as illegal immigrants flood the country.
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