Gov. Gregg Abbott stated he'd been planning the immigration operation in Colony Ridge for months to target criminals and immigrants. Observers said some people who were stopped were on to their way to work.

Colony Ridge, a residential community near Houston that's been accused of being a safe haven for people in the country without legal status, was the focus of a federal immigration enforcement operation on Monday morning, according to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

The Colony Ridge development has long been under scrutiny from conservative lawmakers, think tanks and influencers who cast it as a hotbed for undocumented immigrants and cartel crime.