Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard are continuing to work together to secure the border; stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas; and prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal activity between ports of entry.
Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to over 435,700 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 34,000 criminal arrests, with more than 30,900 felony charges reported. In the fight against fentanyl, Texas law enforcement has seized over 428 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission.
Texas has also bused:
- Over 11,300 migrants to Washington, D.C. since April 2022
- Over 13,500 migrants to New York City since August 2022
- Over 7,000 migrants to Chicago since August 2022
- Over 2,600 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022
- Over 1,100 migrants to Denver since May 18
- Over 480 migrants to Los Angeles since June 14
Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps created by the Biden Administration’s refusal to secure the border. Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Joe Biden’s open border policies.
RECENT HIGHLIGHTS FROM OPERATION LONE STAR:
Office Of The Governor Issues Statement On Ruling On Texas’ Border Security
On Wednesday, the Office of the Governor issued a statement following the ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas against Texas maintaining its sovereign authority to secure the border with floating marine barriers:
“Texas will appeal. Today’s court decision merely prolongs President Biden’s willful refusal to acknowledge that Texas is rightfully stepping up to do the job that he should have been doing all along. This ruling is incorrect and will be overturned on appeal. We will continue to utilize every strategy to secure the border, including deploying Texas National Guard soldiers and Department of Public Safety troopers and installing strategic barriers. Our battle to defend Texas’ sovereign authority to protect lives from the chaos caused by President Biden’s open border policies has only begun. Texas is prepared to take this fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Governor Abbott To Biden: We Will Send Swift Justice For Remain In Texas
Responding to reports that the Biden Administration is considering forcing some migrant families to remain in Texas while awaiting asylum screening, Governor Abbott said Texas will continue to bus migrants to Washington, D.C., a self-declared sanctuary city, to provide relief to overwhelmed border communities.