Abbott launches Operation Lone Star to combat border crisis

Sierra Martin

In response to an increase in activity at the border, Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) launched Operation Lone Star. 

The Operation integrates DPS with the Texas National Guard. It deploys air, ground, marine, and tactical border security assets to high threat areas to deny Mexican Cartels and other smugglers the ability to move drugs and people into Texas.

“The crisis at our southern border continues to escalate because of Biden administration policies that refuse to secure the border and invite illegal immigration,” said Abbott. “Texas supports legal immigration but will not be an accomplice to the open border policies that cause, rather than prevent, a humanitarian crisis in our state and endanger the lives of Texans. We will surge the resources and law enforcement personnel needed to confront this crisis.” 

Gov. Abbott and DPS Director Colonel Steve McCraw decided that this strategy would enhance safety and security at the border after a meeting last month.

During the meeting, McCraw and Abbott discussed that a recent surge of immigrants at Texas’ southern border is related to the Biden Administration reinstating the ‘catch and release’ policy. The pair expressed health and safety concerns such as the potential spread of COVID-19 and evolving threat of drug cartels.

Abbott held a press conference at the Texas-Mexico border on Tuesday, March 9 to discuss Operation Lone Star and call on the Biden administration to provide the overwhelmed Border Patrol officers with additional resources.

According to Abbott, in all of 2020, the Rio Grande Valley sector documented about 90,000 apprehensions. In just the first two and a half months of 2021, there have already been 108,000 apprehensions.

Abbott also said it was “reprehensible” that the Biden Administration has prioritized other federal employees getting vaccinated before the Border Patrol agents.

“We have Border Patrol officers whose lives are on the line on a daily basis, an hourly basis, and the Biden administration will not step up and provide those Border Patrol officers with the vaccinations they need,” Abbott said. “The Biden administration should surge vaccines to Texas to all men and women on the Border Patrol this week and assure that every Border Patrol officer in the state of Texas will be vaccinated. This week- anything less than that is the epitome of inhumanity.”

Many members of the republican party are voicing concerns over the recent influx of immigrants attempting to cross the border. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy requested a meeting with Biden to discuss the migration trends.

“I feel compelled to express great concern with the manner in which your administration is approaching this crisis, but with hope that we can work together to solve it,” McCarthy told the president in a letter.

According to McCarthy, January’s data shows a 113% increase in unaccompanied alien children apprehended compared to January 2020.

White House spokesman Vedant Patel said in a statement that the Biden administration is adapting to the increased demand of resources needed at the border. 

“President Biden has asked senior members of his team to travel to the border region in order to provide a full briefing to him on the government response to the influx of unaccompanied minors and an assessment of additional steps that can be taken to ensure the safety and care of these children,” Patel said.

Sometime this week, officials will release the number of immigrants that crossed the border in February.

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