On Tuesday, at the Texas-Mexico border, the family of Jocelyn Nungaray watched as the state of Texas installed a border wall panel dedicated to the memory of the 12-year-old girl. Jocelyn was tragically murdered in June by two undocumented immigrants, and her death has become a focal point for state leaders pushing for stricter border policies and enhanced immigration enforcement. The initiative revolves around a 1,400-acre property that the state purchased in October. Buckingham has promised to transfer this land to Trump’s incoming administration. Located near the border, the property is intended to serve as a site for detention and deportation operations.
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, a strong supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, unveiled the panel alongside the launch of an ambitious initiative called “The Jocelyn Initiative.” The project, named in honor of Jocelyn, aims to repurpose state-owned land for deportation facilities, delivering on a key promise from Trump’s 2024 campaign, Trending Politics reported.
“The Jocelyn Initiative, you may have heard, we’ve offered this 1,400 acre ranch in case it fits the Trump administration’s needs for a detention and deportation facility,” Buckingham said. “With the Jocelyn Initiative, with her mother and grandmother present, we said we are not going to tolerate one more child being lost to violent criminals who have come across our border illegally, or one more child that we have lost because someone let a bad guy out of jail.” She added: “So we are coming together, we’re gonna identify properties around the state, and again, if they meet the Trump administration’s needs, that’s what we’re gonna do … we’re gonna get it done.”
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 Jocelyn’s body was discovered. A grand jury later added charges of kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault. The case became even more controversial when it was revealed that Martínez-Rangel and Peña Ramos had been apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol earlier in 2024 near El Paso. Despite being detained, both were released into the U.S. with notices to appear in court—a standard practice that has come under growing scrutiny. Jocelyn’s family and the local community have voiced their outrage over the situation.
The Jocelyn Initiative supports Trump’s promise to reform immigration enforcement on his first day in office. Texas Governor Greg Abbott and other Republican leaders have promoted this initiative, presenting it as a moral obligation. “I meant it when I said that I will do everything in my power to help this administration,” Buckingham said. “The new project that the General Land Office is going to embark on 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 added. “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.”
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