Texas governor Gregg Abbott has previously stated that the objective of Operation Lone Star, his administration’s initiative to tackle unlawful migration, is to completely eliminate illegal immigration.
Despite his efforts, the operation has faced setbacks and received criticism for human rights violations. Additionally, it has caused conflicts with neighboring states, which claim that the governor’s intentions are to “make Texas its own country.”
Operation Lone Star has proven to be an expensive endeavor, with a staggering cost of $11 billion so far. Governor Abbott has even requested an additional $2.9 billion from lawmakers to sustain the program until 2027.
The Dallas Morning News recently uncovered these figures, shedding light on the significant financial investment made in this operation.
Over the years, the funds have been utilized to finance the installation of over 100 miles of razor wire, construct more than 45 miles of a border wall built by the state, and erect a buoy barrier spanning 1,000 feet along the Rio Grande.
Furthermore, as part of the initiative, a staggering $221 million has been allocated to transport over 119,400 migrants from Texas to various cities governed by Democratic officials nationwide.
In August, local figures revealed that border crossings in Texas had decreased by 87% compared to their peak in December. Although this decline partly coincided with the asylum restrictions implemented by the Biden administration in June, Governor Abbott has chosen not to acknowledge the federal government’s efforts, arguing that border crossings had already started to decline prior to that.
“That was after Texas began our accelerated operations to deny illegal entry, using the guard, using the razor wire, using the pepper ball.”
The governor’s claims in favor of Operation Lone Star were disputed by a report from the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) in August.
The report argued that while it is true that figures have decreased, this decline is actually part of a larger, national trend and not solely due to the specific policies of Operation Lone Star.
Abbott’s recent actions against the “Tren de Aragua” gang have garnered national attention, as they have been gaining prominence in the United States.
In September, he classified them as a “foreign terrorist group” and additionally announced rewards for any information that could lead to the apprehension of its members.