Hubbry Logo
Operation Lone StarOperation Lone StarMain
Open search
Operation Lone Star
Community hub
Operation Lone Star
logo
8 pages, 0 posts
0 subscribers
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Operation Lone Star
Operation Lone Star
Operation Lone Star
View on Wikipedia
from Wikipedia

Operation Lone Star
Part of the Mexico–United States border crisis
Texas National Guard members during Operation Lone Star
DateMarch 6, 2021 – present (2021-03-06 – present)
(4 years, 8 months, 1 week and 5 days)
LocationTexas portion of the Mexico–United States border
TargetIllegal immigration to the United States
Illegal drug trade
Human smuggling
Budget$10 billion as of January 2024[1]
Participants Texas
Texas Military Department
Texas Department of Public Safety
Texas Division of Emergency Management
Outcome489 million doses of fentanyl seized
119,200 migrants bused to sanctuary cities
Deaths74 dead in pursuits in OLS counties, including 7 bystanders[2]
Non-fatal injuries189 injured in pursuits in OLS counties[2]
Arrests513,700 migrant apprehensions
44,000 criminal arrests
Charges38,600 felony charges[3]

Operation Lone Star (OLS) is a joint operation between the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Military Department along the Mexico–United States border in southern Texas. The operation started in 2021 and is ongoing. According to Texas governor Greg Abbott, the operation is intended to counter a rise in illegal immigration, the illegal drug trade, and human smuggling.[4] Between fiscal year 2020 and fiscal year 2021, migrant apprehensions had risen 278% along the US–Mexico border.[5] According to the governor's office, OLS has resulted in 513,700 migrant apprehensions, 44,000 criminal arrests (including 38,600 felony charges), and 489 million doses of fentanyl seized.[3][6][7] As of April 2022, OLS was spending approximately $2.5 million per week and was expected to cost approximately $2 billion per year.[8] Approximately 10,000 National Guard members were deployed in support of OLS at the height of the operation, with around 6,000 deployed as of November 2022.[9] One year after the start of Operation Lone Star, Texas saw a 9% increase in migrant encounters along its border with Mexico, compared to a 62% increase in Arizona, California, and New Mexico along their respective borders with Mexico.[10] As of June 2024, the Department of Public Safety has estimated a 74% drop in illegal border crossings since the start of OLS.[11]

OLS has drawn support from many Republican Party state governors. OLS drew criticism from the federal government under then-president Biden, Democratic Party governors and mayors, and migrant advocates for its treatment of migrants, including the withholding of water and orders to push migrants back into the Rio Grande.[12] Migrants have had a more difficult time crossing areas of the Rio Grande due to razor wire set up by OLS, leading to some migrants becoming injured and/or captured in the wire. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticized high speed pursuits in counties implementing OLS, which it attributed to causing 74 deaths.[2] Texas officials and national guard members have also voiced concerns about hardships sustained during deployment in support of OLS.[7][13]

According to the governor, 119,200 migrants were voluntarily bused to sanctuary cities across the United States as of June 2024.[3] A few migrants were also flown directly to these cities.[14] This has resulted in migrant crises in cities like New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., as local resources are stretched thin to handle the new arrivals.[15][16] Local officials in the sanctuary cities have criticized the busing program and responded by requesting federal assistance, fining charter bus companies carrying migrants, and sending migrants to other cities.[17][18][15][19]

In January 2024, Texas officials seized control of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, which was frequently used by United States Border Patrol to process new migrant arrivals. Border patrol agents were generally prohibited from the park, except to access a boat ramp in the park after three migrants drowned nearby while crossing the Rio Grande. This led to a standoff between federal and state officials. The Biden administration has said that it would refer the dispute to the United States Department of Justice if access was not restored for border patrol agents.[20][21]

Background and causes

[edit]
See also: Immigration reform in the United States

Starting with "Operation Linebacker" by former governor Rick Perry, the State of Texas has been launching border security operations with increasing escalation since 2005.[8] These operations were limited in scope due to the exclusive authority of federal immigration agents to deport migrants.[10] Operation Lone Star was launched in 2021 to respond to the surge in border crossings, which Governor Abbott attributed to the Biden Administration's policies on immigration. In fiscal year 2021, enforcement actions by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including detentions and arrests of migrants, rose to over 1.9 million, a 202% increase from fiscal year 2020. Meanwhile, a 278% increase in migrant encounters was seen at the southwest border from fiscal year 2020 to 2021, which continued rising into 2022.[5]

Operation Lone Star differed from previous border operations due to the authority granted to state law enforcement officials to arrest migrants in border counties for offenses such as criminal trespassing and human smuggling.[10] OLS efforts to empower local law enforcement to act against undocumented migrants have been complicated by the traditional delegation of immigration enforcement powers to federal officials. In Arizona v. United States, the Supreme Court overturned an Arizona law penalizing illegal immigration at a state level.[22][23]

Timeline

[edit]
Developments in Operation Lone Star
Date Notable Event
March 6, 2021 Operation Lone Star is launched[4]
May 31, 2021 Greg Abbott declares disaster via Proclamation[24]
June 16, 2021 Greg Abbott announces border wall construction strategy[25]
December 18, 2021 First section of border wall completed in Rio Grande City[26]
March 14, 2022 Major General Tracy Norris is relieved of command[27]
April 6, 2022 Bus and flight of immigrants to sanctuary city Washington, D.C., begin[28]
July 7, 2022 Greg Abbott declares invasion via Executive Order GA-41[29]
September 21, 2022 Greg Abbott designates Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations via Executive Order GA-42[30]
November 18, 2022 M113 armored personnel carriers are deployed[31]
February 3, 2023 Greg Abbott establishes Texas Border Czar position, appoints Mike Banks[32]
May 8, 2023 Greg Abbott establishes and deploys Texas Tactical Border Force[33][34]
May 16, 2023 Texas requests assistance from other states, utilizing the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.[35]
October 2, 2023 The Texas Ranger Division and Texas Army National Guard occupied Fronton Island.[36]
December 18, 2023 Greg Abbott signs bill SB 4, making illegal immigration a state crime, allowing Texas law enforcement to arrest undocumented migrants anywhere in the state. It also permits state courts to issue removal orders to send arrested migrants back across the Mexican border.[22]
January 11, 2024 Greg Abbott executes emergency declaration ordering Texas Military Forces to seize control of 47-acre Shelby Park in Eagle Pass from United States Border Patrol agents.[37]
January 25, 2024 25 Republican state governors declare their support for Texas in its disputes with Federal authorities.[38]
February 16, 2024 Greg Abbott announces FOB Eagle, an 80-acre forward operating base at Eagle Pass for 2,300 soldiers[39]
April 19, 2024 Additional resources were sent to help secure border in El Paso due to a surge of illegal immigrants.
May 31, 2024 Texas National Guard soldiers were welcomed Governor Abbott during their move to the base camp in Eagle Pass.[40]
September 23, 2024 Greg Abbott announces Texas is launching a operation to target Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA)[40]

Reactions

[edit]

Public

[edit]

As of June 2023, polling from the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin indicated that 59% of Texans backed the increased law enforcement deployments and border spending.[41][42]

The mission faced public criticism, including from state officials, following reports of pay delays, poor working and living conditions, a lack of proper equipment and facilities, and multiple suicides and suicide attempts among service members.[7][43] According to reporting in the Army Times, soldiers were being housed in what it describes as cramped quarters, in converted recreational vehicles and semi-truck trailers, and also faced shortages in cold weather uniforms, medical equipment, and portable toilets.[7] According to the Houston Chronicle, this was further compounded when it coincided with state cuts in educational benefits for service members to address budget shortfalls, reducing available tuition assistance by more than half.[44] Some Texas Air National Guard members deployed in support of OLS have also criticized the operation's planning and execution, with nearly 30% of 250 participants in a 2022 Air National Guard survey reporting frustration with the operation's length, haste, and involuntary nature.[13]

On January 13, 2022, a state district court judge in Travis County, Texas, granted Jesús Alberto Guzmán Curipoma, of Ecuador, a writ of habeas corpus, ruling that the state program violated the supremacy clause of the United States Constitution.[45] On February 25, 2022, the state Third Court of Appeals in Austin affirmed the decision of the lower court.[46] On June 26, 2024, the Court of Criminal Appeals vacated the Third Court of Appeals decision and remanded the case for reconsideration.[47]

Republican Party officials in multiple states and in federal positions supported Texas' efforts and criticized opposition from the Biden administration.[48]

More than 100 sheriffs in Texas have publicly backed OLS.[49]

Many people support OLS, as of February 10, 2025 there has been an estimated amount of 56 million dollars donated to fund, the border wall, border transportation, and border security. This funding is from donations from Americans all over not only in Texas.[50]

Department of Justice investigation and lawsuits

[edit]
Construction of the Rio Grande barriers by OLS

Civil rights investigation

[edit]

In July 2022, the Department of Justice opened a civil rights investigation of OLS.[51] According to a Texas Department of Public Safety email obtained by the Texas Tribune, the investigation is focused on reviewing whether OLS violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin by programs that receive federal funds.

Federal lawsuits

[edit]

On July 24, 2023, the DOJ filed a lawsuit in the Western District of Texas, United States v. Abbott, alleging that the construction of floating barriers in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass by OLS without permission violated the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899.[52] In a statement announcing the lawsuit, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said that the barriers pose a hazard to navigation and public safety, present humanitarian concerns, and have sparked diplomatic protests by Mexico. In response, Texas argued that the area of the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass does not fall under the Act and that the floating barriers are not a "structure" subject to the Act's requirements. Texas also argued that the Compact Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which allows states to engage in war if invaded, allows Texas to build the barriers due to Governor Abbott's invasion declaration.[53] On September 6, the district court granted the DOJ's motion for a preliminary injunction and ordered Texas to move the barrier to the bank of the river and cease the installation of any new barriers.[54] In response, Texas appealed the order to the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which issued an order on December 1 affirming the injunction.[55] The court also found that Texas has not offered concrete evidence that the barrier has saved lives or reduced illegal migration. The outcome of the case is pending an en banc rehearing in the Fifth Circuit.[56]

Federal border patrol agents have cut and destroyed razor wire deployed by Texas as part of Operation Lone Star, but were halted from doing so except to provide emergency medical aid by a temporary injunction issued by a judge in the Western District of Texas on October 30, 2023.[57] On November 30, the court withdrew the injunction, allowing the Border Patrol to resume cutting the wire pending a trial in the case.[58] The Fifth Circuit reinstated the temporary injunction on cutting razor wire in December 2023. In January 2024, the Supreme Court restored the ability of border patrol agents to cut razor wire pending the outcome of the case.[59] Texas continued putting up concertina wire and blocking border patrol agents after the ruling, which only dealt with the temporary injunction against border patrol agents cutting razor wire.[60][61] The case is ongoing and is scheduled to be argued before the Fifth Circuit on February 7, 2024.[62]

Since 2022, Abbott has repeatedly invoked the "invasion clauses" of the Constitution to legally justify his efforts on immigration enforcement, which typically falls under federal purview. Abbott has accused the Biden administration of failing to protect Texas against an "invasion" under Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution, thus empowering the state to act under Article I, Section 10, Clause 3.[63][64][65][66] Texas has also unsuccessfully attempted to use this argument in federal court.[67]

On January 3, 2024, the Biden administration filed United States v. Texas, a lawsuit challenging SB 4, which empowered Texas law enforcement to arrest migrants and effectively deport them for crossing the border illegally. The Biden administration argued that Texas was interfering with the federal government's "exclusive authority" on immigration.[68][69] The United States Supreme Court issued a stay temporarily blocking SB 4 from going into effect on March 4, 2024.[70] The Supreme Court rejected a later request for a stay and allowed the law to go into effect pending ongoing litigation on March 19.[71]

Eagle Pass park standoff

[edit]

On January 11, 2024, the Texas National Guard took control of Shelby Park, a 47-acre (19 ha) area of parkland in the town of Eagle Pass, along the Rio Grande river, which separates the United States from Mexico, after Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed an emergency declaration to close the park. In his declaration, Abbott cited the Mexico–United States border crisis and the need to secure the border. The Texas National Guard blocked U.S. Border Patrol agents from patrolling the area, which the Border Patrol had been using to hold migrants in recent weeks.[72][73]

After the closure, three migrants were found drowned in the Rio Grande. Mexican authorities subsequently identified them as a 33-year-old woman and her two children, aged 10 and 8. The U.S. Border Patrol said it had alerted the Texas National Guard that a group of migrants were in distress in the waters outside the boat ramp in Shelby Park but that the National Guard took no action to rescue them. Texas lawyers responded that the National Guard was alerted only after the three had drowned, and that the National Guard had not spotted any migrants. Mexican authorities said that the boat never entered U.S. territory.[74][75]

On January 22, the Supreme Court of the United States issued an order to vacate an injunction by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that prevented Border Patrol agents from cutting concertina wire, which the National Guard had been using to make a fence in Shelby Park. The ruling concerned an earlier dispute and did not address Texas deploying razor wire or blocking federal officials from the park.[76][77] On January 24, Abbott responded that Texas would refuse to let federal authorities access the park, vowing to "protect the sovereignty of our state".[78][76][79] A military standoff between state and federal authorities over immigration is unique in modern American history; constitutional law professor Charles "Rocky" Rhodes and an editorial in the San Antonio Express-News said it may signal the start of a constitutional crisis.[80][81][82]

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court's decision, 25 other Republican state governors (every Republican governor but Vermont's Phil Scott) announced their support for Texas in the dispute, as did U.S. House speaker Mike Johnson.[83][84] Florida Governor Ron DeSantis additionally committed to sending more resources after previously sending the Florida National Guard to reinforce the Texas government.[80] Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt pledged to deploy the Oklahoma National Guard to support Texas, and Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb announced that 50 Indiana National Guardsmen would arrive in Texas by mid-March.[85][86] Georgia Governor Brian Kemp stated 15 to 20 Georgia National Guard troops would be sent to Texas.[87] In Missouri, Governor Mike Parson issued an executive order to deploy up to 200 Missouri National Guard troops to Texas, as well as 22 state troopers "on a voluntary basis".[88] Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated that approximately 40 Arkansas National Guard members would be deployed in Texas from April 1 through May 30.[89] Other state and national Republican officials backed Texas.[48]

On January 23, the Department of Homeland Security issued Texas attorney general Ken Paxton an ultimatum, ordering the removal of "obstructions" along the border and that the Border Patrol be given full access to Shelby Park by January 26.[90] On January 24, Democratic Texas representatives Joaquin Castro and Greg Casar called for U.S. President Joe Biden to establish federal control over the Texas National Guard.[91] On January 26, the deadline set by Department of Homeland Security passed. It had ordered Texas to agree to fully reopen disputed parts of the Shelby Park area to federal Border Patrol agents, emphasizing the need for confirmation and specifying the consequences of partial denial in a letter from DHS General Counsel Jonathan Meyer to Attorney General Paxton.

On January 29, more than two dozen Republican state attorneys general, and leadership from the Republican-controlled Arizona State Legislature, signed a letter supporting Abbott and Paxton, addressing President Biden and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and commending Abbott's and Paxton's actions against what they called the "invasion, encouraged by Biden's refusal to follow federal statutory law".[92][93]

Other states

[edit]

On May 16, 2023, Abbott requested assistance from other state governors through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.[35] As of June 2023, 14 states have sent about 500 national guard[quantify] and law enforcement officers to Texas in response, with Florida providing the most additional personnel.[94]

Results

[edit]

Texas Governor Abbott claims OLS has resulted in 513,700 migrant apprehensions, 44,000 criminal arrests (including 38,600 felony charges), and 489 million doses of fentanyl seized as of June 2024.[3] However, a March 2022 investigation by ProPublica, The Texas Tribune, and The Marshall Project found that the Texas Department of Public Safety had counted over 2,000 arrests with no link to OLS or border security towards OLS's total.[95] After those arrests were removed, later reports found DPS still continues to include arrests unrelated to Operation Lone Star in the operation's results.

High speed chases of migrants led by US citizens and Texas state police have risen in Texas, dozens of which are fatal.[96] Human Rights Watch found that more than two-thirds of police chases in Texas occurred in OLS counties, which contained 13% of the state population. According to HRW, 74 people have died and 189 were injured as a result of these chases, resulting in a vehicle pursuit death rate eight times as high as the national rate. It also found an average of $177,000 in property damage per month linked to these chases, up from $73,000 per month prior to OLS.[2]

The costs of the operation have resulted in funding being transferred from other Texas government agency budgets, particularly the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, which operates state prisons. Reimbursement for the costs have partly been filled by using federal COVID aid.[10]

After the start of OLS, Texas saw slower rates of increases in migrant encounters than neighboring states since the start of OLS. One year after inception, Texas saw a 9% increase in encounters, compared to a 62% increase in encounters in Arizona, California, and New Mexico, the three other states bordering Mexico.[10] In June 2024, the Department of Public Safety reported that Texas experienced a 74% decrease in illegal border crossings since the start of OLS.[11]

Bussing to sanctuary cities

[edit]
See also: New York City migrant housing crisis and Mexico–United States border crisis

As part of Operation Lone Star, Texas set up a program to voluntarily send migrants to sanctuary cities in other states, typically through busing.[97][14] Abbott has stated that the purpose of the migrant busing program was to provide Texan border towns with relief from migrant arrivals, which he blames on the Biden administration's policies on immigration, and to bring the costs of the border crisis to Democratic cities that had been dismissing it.[17][98][99] Abbott has also mocked leaders of cities he sent migrants to for saying that they welcome immigrants.[14][97] Some migrant advocates reported instances of buses being sent without adequate provisions.[100] The state reported sending 119,200 migrants to cities outside of Texas,[3] contributing to the New York City migrant housing crisis and other crises in cities such as Chicago, Denver, and Washington, D.C.[15][18] Officials in these cities have responded to the drop-off of migrants by deploying emergency measures and calling states of emergencies.[101][17] Some Democratic-led cities, such as Denver and New York City, have also responded by giving migrants free bus and plane rides to other cities.[19]

To carry out the busing program, charter bus companies transport the migrants at a cost of about $1,650 per migrant, with funding coming from both the Texas legislature and private donors. A few hundred migrants have also been flown from Texas to sanctuary cities.[18] Local officials in the sanctuary cities have attempted to crack down on the busing programs via fines and ordinances targeting the charter bus companies. New York City in particular has filed a lawsuit against 17 charter bus companies responsible for migrant transportation.[102][18]

Officials in areas dealing with migrant surges have called on the Biden administration to change immigration policies. They have also requested federal aid to fund their responses to the migrant influx and reimburse costs.[98] Washington, D.C., in particular has requested the deployment of the D.C. National Guard to assist in the migrant crisis, but has been turned down.[103]

Republican officials have expressed approval of the OLS busing program for giving the migrant crisis national attention.[98] In 2022, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said it was "nice the State of Texas is helping [migrants] get to their final destination", while in 2023, the White House and other Democrats called the busing program a "political stunt".[97][99] Other states and cities, both Democratic and Republican, as well as local charities, have followed Texas in organizing busing operations to move migrants to the rest of the country.[17][19][104]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Operation Lone Star

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Operation Lone Star is a multi-agency Texas border security operation launched by Governor Greg Abbott on March 6, 2021, to deter illegal border crossings, apprehend human smugglers and cartel operatives, and interdict deadly narcotics entering from Mexico amid federal enforcement shortfalls. The initiative deploys the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas National Guard troops, and specialized tactical units to conduct surveillance, arrests, and infrastructure projects along the Rio Grande and other border sectors. Since inception, Operation Lone Star has led to over 496,700 apprehensions of illegal immigrants, more than 38,700 criminal arrests—including thousands for and —and the seizure of over 450 million lethal doses of alongside tons of other controlled substances. State forces have constructed over 100 miles of barriers, installed miles of , and deployed riverine obstacles to impede crossings, while also busing more than 50,000 migrants to interior jurisdictions to distribute the impacts of federal policy. These efforts have rescued over 10,000 migrants from distress and disrupted operations, though the program has incurred costs exceeding $11 billion to taxpayers, fueling demands for federal reimbursement. The operation has generated significant federal-state friction under the prior administration, including lawsuits challenging Texas's seizure of border areas like Shelby Park in Eagle Pass and state-level immigration statutes such as Senate Bill 4, which empowered local arrests for . Proponents credit it with reducing unauthorized entries in sectors through proactive deterrence, while critics have alleged overreach and inefficiencies, though empirical data from state reports underscore substantial interdictions of criminal elements otherwise evading federal detection. With alignment under the current federal leadership, the mission continues to emphasize joint operations against transnational threats.

Background

Federal Immigration Policy Context

The federal government of the exercises plenary authority over policy and , primarily through the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) of 1952, which codifies rules for alien admission, exclusion, deportation, and , including criminal penalties for improper entry under 8 U.S.C. § 1325, classifying first-time illegal crossings as misdemeanors and repeats as felonies. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), under the Department of , enforces these laws at ports of entry and along borders, with authority to inspect entrants and interdict unlawful entries between ports. The U.S. has upheld in this domain, recognizing Congress's power to regulate and the executive's in priorities, thereby limiting states to supportive roles rather than independent regulation of immigration status or entry. This framework stems from constitutional allocation, where Article I grants Congress authority over , and subsequent statutes delegate operational control to federal agencies. Prior to 2021, federal border enforcement under the Trump administration emphasized deterrence through measures like the Migrant Protection Protocols (requiring asylum seekers to await hearings in ) and continuation of construction, correlating with southwest border apprehensions stabilizing below 500,000 annually in fiscal years 2017-2020. The Biden administration, starting January 20, 2021, issued executive actions reversing these, including halting wall funding redirection, suspending deportations for 100 days (later blocked by courts), and terminating the program by mid-2021, while expanding parole authority and catch-and-release practices for families and unaccompanied minors to alleviate detention overcrowding. These shifts prioritized humanitarian processing and interior enforcement limits, directing resources away from low-priority removals, amid a stated intent to rebuild trust in the system but resulting in court backlogs exceeding 2 million cases by 2022. The policy changes coincided with unprecedented surges in unlawful crossings, with CBP reporting 1.73 million southwest encounters in 2021 (a 314% increase from FY2020), escalating to 2.21 million in FY2022 and 2.48 million in FY2023, including significant "gotaways" estimated at over 600,000 annually by DHS internal metrics. Over 90% of encounters involved single adults or families released into the U.S. with notices to appear, straining federal resources and leading to operational control losses in border sectors, as defined by CBP metrics requiring dominance in 100% of areas. In June 2024, an barred asylum claims when weekly averages exceeded 2,500 encounters, temporarily reducing numbers, but critics noted persistent releases via alternatives to detention and exemptions for unaccompanied minors. States like contended that federal non-enforcement constituted a dereliction harming public safety and local economies, invoking Tenth Amendment arguments in lawsuits, though the in June 2023 ruled states lack Article III standing to compel federal prioritization of removals. By January 2025, post-election reinstated mandatory detention and swift removals to restore enforcement fidelity.

Initiation of State-Led Response

In response to a surge in unauthorized border crossings and perceived federal inaction, Texas Governor announced the launch of Operation Lone Star on March 6, 2021, as a state-directed initiative to supplement U.S. Customs and Border Protection efforts along the Texas-Mexico border. The operation targeted smuggling networks operated by Mexican cartels, focusing on interdicting illegal entries of people and drugs, with initial deployments of (DPS) troopers and Texas National Guard personnel equipped with air, ground, marine, and tactical assets to high-threat zones, particularly along the . This state-led response was prompted by a documented escalation in migrant encounters, with U.S. reporting a 71% increase nationwide from February to March 2021, totaling over 173,000 encounters in March alone, many concentrated in sectors amid policy shifts such as the suspension of wall construction and alterations to asylum processing. Abbott attributed the crisis to Biden administration policies that he described as incentivizing and failing to enforce federal law, thereby creating a humanitarian and security emergency that endangered communities through increased activity and trafficking. While affirming support for legal , positioned Operation Lone Star as a necessary counter to federal reluctance to secure the , enabling state authorities to conduct arrests and seizures independently. Early phases emphasized tactical coordination, including the formation of DPS strike teams for apprehending criminal noncitizens and the deputization of members for immigration-related arrests, marking a shift from prior federal reliance to proactive state enforcement. On March 17, 2021, the operation expanded to explicitly address linked to border crossings, directing additional resources toward disrupting smuggling routes that exploited vulnerable migrants. These measures established Operation Lone Star as 's primary mechanism for asserting border sovereignty, with ongoing deployments funded through state emergency declarations renewed periodically since inception.

Objectives and Components

Stated Goals and First-Principles Rationale

Governor announced Operation Lone Star on March 6, 2021, as a multi-agency state effort to address and border insecurity exacerbated by federal policies under the Biden administration. The operation's stated goals include deploying Texas troops, officers, and other resources to deter unlawful entries, interdict narcotics and criminal activity, and construct physical barriers along the to impede crossings by migrants and smugglers. These objectives focus on filling enforcement voids left by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, with an emphasis on high-threat sectors where operations facilitate human and drug trafficking. The rationale underpinning Operation Lone Star derives from the foundational principle that state governments retain authority to safeguard residents and when federal entities neglect core duties under Article IV, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, which obligates protection against invasion. Texas officials assert that unchecked border porosity enables causal chains leading to heightened public safety risks, including influx responsible for surging overdose fatalities—over 70,000 in 2023 alone, predominantly synthetic opioids smuggled across the southwest border—and localized crime spikes tied to migrant releases without vetting. This state intervention counters federal catch-and-release practices, which empirical encounter data from U.S. Border Patrol show exceeded 2.4 million nationwide in 2022, straining Texas infrastructure and local . Critics from federal and advocacy perspectives question state overreach into , a domain reserved to , but Texas defends the measures as necessary amid verifiable federal inaction, evidenced by paused border wall construction and expanded parole programs post-2021. The operation's logic prioritizes deterrence through visible state presence over reactive federal processing, aiming to restore causal deterrence against incentives for driven by policy signals of lax enforcement.

Key Operational Tactics

Operation Lone Star utilizes a multi-domain approach integrating state , military assets, physical infrastructure, and technologies to interdict illegal border crossings and smuggling activities. The (DPS) leads ground operations, deploying troopers for patrols, apprehensions, and investigations targeting human and drug smuggling networks. The , including the , provides support roles such as securing areas, assisting in barrier , and conducting with federal agents. Physical deterrents form a core tactic, with Texas constructing segments of border wall and installing razor wire along high-traffic areas of the Rio Grande. As of October 2023, state efforts advanced wall construction using repurposed federal materials where possible, focusing on remote and riverine sections to channel migrant flows. By August 2024, Texas tripled the deployment of razor wire barriers to impede crossings. In the aquatic domain, floating marine barriers consisting of buoys equipped with cameras and razor wire were placed in the Rio Grande starting in July 2023, with expansions continuing through November 2024 to deter waterborne entries. Surveillance and detection rely on advanced technologies, including drone deployments for aerial monitoring and the Modular Mobile Surveillance System (M2S2) for real-time ground detection of movement. units operate these systems alongside fixed cameras to identify crossing attempts, enabling rapid response by patrol units. Riverine tactics involve boat patrols and bank clearing operations to facilitate navigation and observation. personnel clear vegetation and debris along the to enhance water patrol effectiveness and support interdictions. These efforts integrate air, ground, and marine assets for comprehensive coverage, emphasizing deterrence through presence and swift apprehension.

Chronological Implementation

Launch Phase (2021)

On March 6, 2021, Governor , in coordination with the (DPS), officially launched Operation Lone Star as a state-led initiative to address the escalating crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, characterized by increased illegal crossings and smuggling activities attributed to policies under the Biden administration. The operation aimed to disrupt Mexican cartels and human smugglers by targeting the movement of drugs and migrants into , emphasizing a multi-agency approach that integrated DPS with support from the . This followed a February 2021 planning meeting between Abbott and DPS Director Colonel Steve McCraw, responding to federal apprehensions data showing over 520,000 encounters in the preceding fiscal year, with Texas sectors bearing a disproportionate share. Initial deployments under Operation Lone Star involved a surge of DPS troopers, helicopters, boats, and tactical units to high-threat border areas, supplemented by personnel for logistics, surveillance, and infrastructure support. By mid-March, the operation expanded to include targeted efforts against , with DPS conducting interviews of unaccompanied minors to identify networks. These actions yielded early arrests, including smugglers and cartel operatives, alongside seizures of narcotics such as and , though comprehensive quarterly metrics were not immediately publicized. The deployment marked a shift from prior state-federal cooperation, with assuming primary operational control due to perceived federal inaction. Throughout the remainder of 2021, the launch phase evolved with executive actions to bolster enforcement, including a May 31 disaster declaration for 43 border counties authorizing additional resources and restrictions on state-licensed facilities housing undocumented migrants. In , Governor Abbott issued an prohibiting the transportation of undocumented individuals within , empowering DPS to impound vehicles used in such activities, which facilitated over 1,000 initial smuggling-related arrests by year's end. Legislative support followed in September with the passage and signing of House Bill 9, allocating $1.8 billion for border security, including grants for local operations and further mobilization. These measures laid the groundwork for sustained state interdiction, contrasting with federal Title 42 expulsions that temporarily masked underlying crossing trends.

Escalation and Expansion (2022-2023)

In 2022, Operation Lone Star expanded through increased state funding and the initiation of migrant transportation to interior cities, alongside intensified enforcement actions against smuggling networks. Governor Greg Abbott allocated an additional $30 million in July to the Operation Lone Star grant program for local law enforcement support, building on the initial $100 million disbursed in 2021. The migrant busing initiative launched in April, transporting over 12,500 individuals to Washington, D.C., by year's end, with expansions to New York City and Chicago beginning in August, aiming to distribute the border burden to sanctuary jurisdictions. These measures coincided with heightened arrests and seizures, as Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) operations targeted cartel activities, though specific annual totals for 2022 were not disaggregated in official reports. By 2023, the operation escalated with new tactical deployments and infrastructure enhancements in response to sustained high crossing volumes. In May, the Tactical Border Force was established, comprising hundreds of soldiers focused on high-threat areas, augmenting DPS troopers in disrupting smuggling routes. The footprint grew further with a rapid reinforcement to El Paso, deploying 400 personnel and 40 vehicles via C-130J aircraft within 72 hours to counter surges there. Additional tactics included securing Fronton Island in November to block smuggling and installing marine floating barriers along the , alongside anti-climb barriers near Brownsville in December. Busing scaled significantly, reaching over 50,000 migrants total by October, including expansions to (November 2022 onward), (May 2023), and (June 2023), with destinations like receiving over 18,500 and over 13,500. Enforcement yielded notable seizures, such as over 800 pounds of narcotics in November, though isolated incidents like 41 arrests in Eagle Pass in June highlighted localized operations. These expansions reflected Texas's strategy of layered deterrence, incorporating and state-funded barriers amid federal policy disputes, with border wall segments advancing incrementally but facing landowner resistance and limited overall mileage completed by late 2023.

Adaptation and Recent Actions (2024-2025)

In 2024, Operation Lone Star maintained intensified border security measures amid ongoing migrant encounters, with the (DPS) and National Guard conducting apprehensions, seizures of contraband, and infrastructure reinforcements along the . Governor announced continued historic actions throughout the year, including deployments to high-threat areas and operations targeting human smuggling networks. These efforts responded to federal policies perceived as inadequate, resulting in thousands of arrests and significant interceptions, though specific statewide totals for 2024 were not itemized in official summaries. Following the inauguration of President in January 2025, Texas adapted Operation Lone Star to align with enhanced federal enforcement, shifting emphasis from primary border interdiction to supporting interior arrests and deportations. On January 27, 2025, Abbott deployed 400 additional soldiers to the Valley to assist U.S. Border Patrol, facilitating coordination under the new administration's priorities. By February 2025, units expanded their presence, with troops sealing access points and conducting patrols in areas like , to deter crossings amid declining encounter rates. Dubbed "Operation Lone Star 2.0," the adapted strategy in 2025 prioritized statewide patrols targeting criminal undocumented immigrants, human , and cartel operatives, expanding operations to 67 counties. DPS tactical teams arrested over 3,000 undocumented immigrants by September 2025, many handed over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement () for , marking a pivot from riverbank to road interdictions. Specific actions included the September 5 of a previously deported Mexican national smuggling 11 individuals in Webb County and the apprehension of an gang member in Val Verde County on August 21. Legislative reinforcements accompanied these operational changes; on July 15, 2025, Abbott signed Senate Bills 8 and 36, enhancing state-federal coordination for border security and authorizing expanded tactical resources. Concurrently, Texas reduced certain expenditures on standalone state barriers and deployments, citing federal assumption of primary responsibilities, as articulated by Abbott in June 2025 statements praising Trump's leadership. This adaptation reflected a causal response to plummeting illegal crossings—down significantly from 2024 peaks—allowing reallocation toward targeted enforcement against entrenched smuggling routes.

Measurable Outcomes and Effectiveness

Apprehensions, Seizures, and Deterrence Metrics

Since its inception in March 2021, Operation Lone Star has led to the apprehension of over 526,600 illegal immigrants attempting to cross the Texas-Mexico border, with these figures reflecting state-led detections and referrals to federal authorities. These apprehensions include individuals encountered during surges in group crossings, with (DPS) troopers and personnel actively repelling entries in real-time operations. Accompanying these efforts, the operation has resulted in more than 48,700 criminal arrests, primarily targeting human smugglers, trespassers, and those engaged in related offenses such as operations. In terms of seizures, Operation Lone Star has yielded substantial interdictions of contraband, including over 500 million lethal doses of fentanyl by early 2025, equivalent to preventing widespread distribution of the synthetic opioid linked to overdose deaths. Additional seizures encompass methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and other narcotics, alongside weapons, cash, and vehicles used in smuggling, with DPS reporting multimillion-dollar hauls from traffic stops and border patrols. For instance, individual operations have confiscated hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl precursors, disrupting cartel supply chains originating from Mexico. Deterrence metrics indicate significant reductions in illegal crossings attributable to Operation Lone Star's deployment of barriers, patrols, and surveillance. Texas officials report an 85% decrease in such crossings in state-monitored sectors compared to pre-operation baselines, correlating with the expansion of state resources and physical obstacles along the . This includes the repulsion of large migrant groups—sometimes numbering in the hundreds—before they could advance inland, as well as fewer reported "got-aways" due to enhanced aerial and ground monitoring. These outcomes are framed by state sources as evidence of effective state-level enforcement filling federal gaps, though independent analyses vary on the extent of causal attribution amid national migration trends.
Key MetricCumulative TotalAs of Date
Illegal Immigrant ApprehensionsOver 526,600November 2024
Criminal ArrestsOver 48,700November 2024
Doses SeizedOver 500 millionJanuary 2025
Reduction in Illegal Crossings85% in sectorsJuly 2024

Infrastructure Achievements

As part of Operation Lone Star, constructed approximately 65 miles of state-funded border wall along the by mid-2025, focusing on high-traffic areas in counties such as Starr, Hidalgo, and Webb. This supplemented existing federal barriers and aimed to channel migrant flows toward ports of entry. utilized bollard designs similar to federal prototypes, with segments often built on state or private land to avoid federal permitting delays. In addition to wall segments, Operation Lone Star personnel deployed over 100 miles of concertina along the border by April 2024, with further installations in subsequent months to create additional physical deterrents. These barriers were placed in sectors including Eagle Pass and El Paso, often integrated with temporary fencing and patrols to impede unauthorized crossings. A notable innovation included the installation of floating marine barriers in the , first deployed in July 2023 near Eagle Pass to block riverine crossings. Comprising buoys attached to anchors and netting, these approximately 1,000-foot initial segments were expanded in November 2024, extending coverage in Maverick County despite federal legal challenges. The barriers withstood appellate review, allowing continued use as a non-lethal deterrent.

Comparative Impact Versus Federal Efforts

Operation Lone Star has achieved over 533,000 migrant apprehensions by troopers and personnel as of May 2025, supplementing federal efforts amid record-high nationwide encounters exceeding 8 million from fiscal years 2021 to 2024 reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In addition, state operations yielded more than 40,000 criminal arrests, including for and , and seized drugs valued at billions, including over 500 million lethal doses, targeting cartel networks that federal apprehensions often failed to prosecute due to policies emphasizing release over detention. In contrast, federal infrastructure development under the Biden administration constructed fewer than 50 miles of new barriers from 2021 to 2024, halting most Trump-era projects despite congressional funding, while under Operation Lone Star erected over 100 miles of state-funded barriers, razor wire, and marine buoys along the [Rio Grande](/page/Rio Grande), directly impeding crossings in high-traffic areas like Eagle Pass. These state measures correlated with reduced encounters in sectors; for instance, the Del Rio sector saw apprehensions drop from peaks exceeding 1,000 daily to under 100 following deployments and barriers in early 2024, shifting migration pressures to less-secured and sectors. Deterrence metrics further highlight disparities: Texas reported thousands of "repels" and turnbacks without apprehension, leveraging visible enforcement to discourage attempts, whereas federal "got-away" estimates reached 1.5 million annually pre-2025, reflecting lax interior enforcement and catch-and-release practices that incentivized repeat crossings. Sector-specific CBP data from 2021-2024 shows ' longer (over 1,200 miles) accounting for a declining share of total southwest encounters, from over 50% to around 30% by 2024, attributable to Operation Lone Star's sustained presence amid federal resource strains on rather than prevention. This localized efficacy underscores state initiatives compensating for federal prioritization of humanitarian over causal barriers to .

Migrant Relocation Strategy

The migrant relocation strategy within Operation Lone Star, initiated by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in April 2022, involves the voluntary transportation of migrants encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border to Democrat-led "sanctuary" cities in other states, such as Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia. This policy aims to alleviate resource strains on Texas border communities by redistributing the impacts of federal immigration policy failures to jurisdictions that have adopted policies limiting cooperation with federal enforcement. Migrants, typically processed and released by federal authorities under Title 8 parole or similar mechanisms, are offered bus or charter transport after consenting to relocation; Texas funds the operations through state appropriations, with costs exceeding $148 million for over 102,000 individuals transported by early 2024. The program's design emphasizes migrant consent and interstate coordination, with personnel facilitating boarding at border facilities or shelters; participants receive stipends for initial needs upon arrival, but destinations are selected to underscore the national scope of border challenges rather than providing long-term state support. By October 2023, more than 50,000 migrants had been bused under this initiative, with expansions including flights in coordination with other Republican-led states like . The strategy operates alongside Operation Lone Star's broader enforcement tactics, such as increased apprehensions, but focuses on post-release logistics to deter unchecked federal releases into . Legally, the relocation effort derives authority from Governor Abbott's executive powers under 's disaster declaration framework, initially proclaimed on , 2021, in response to the surge in unlawful border crossings certified as a public safety threat. Renewed monthly through at least September 2025, this proclamation invokes Chapter 418 of the Government Code, enabling emergency resource deployment for security without legislative preemption by federal immigration law, as asserts concurrent powers to protect and safety amid perceived federal inaction. Abbott has defended the transports as exercises of state sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment, arguing that voluntary interstate movement of federally released individuals does not infringe on exclusive federal immigration authority, a position upheld in related Fifth Circuit rulings dismissing challenges to analogous state transport restrictions on procedural grounds. Critics, including the ACLU, have filed suits alleging coercion or unlawful state involvement in immigration, but no federal court has enjoined the busing program itself, with maintaining that consent and federal handover negate custody claims.

Execution, Scale, and Destinations

The migrant relocation program under Operation Lone Star, initiated in April 2022, involves state agencies coordinating voluntary transport for migrants encountered at the border who have been released by federal authorities or processed under state initiatives. Migrants are offered bus or occasional charter flight transportation to destinations of their choice, typically where they indicate having family, sponsors, or prior connections, after signing consent forms affirming the voluntary nature of the relocation and waiving certain claims against the state. contracts private bus companies to handle logistics, with state personnel overseeing boarding at temporary holding facilities in border cities like El Paso, Laredo, and Eagle Pass, ensuring migrants receive basic provisions during transit. This approach aims to alleviate pressure on border communities by redistributing migrants to interior cities better equipped to handle asylum processing volumes, according to state officials. By September 2024, had transported approximately 120,000 migrants via over 4,400 bus trips and select flights, at a total cost exceeding $221 million in funds. The program's scale peaked in 2022-2023 amid high encounter rates, with monthly transports reaching thousands; for instance, over 102,000 migrants were relocated by February 2024. Activity declined sharply after June 2024 following federal executive actions reducing crossings, and further diminished in 2025 under stricter national enforcement, with expenditures dropping to $434,000 from January onward amid overall apprehensions falling below 100,000 monthly nationwide. State reports emphasize that relocations occur only with migrant , countering claims of , though critics from receiving cities have alleged inadequate preparation notifications. Primary destinations include Democratic-led "" jurisdictions selected by migrants, with receiving the largest share (over 37,000 by late 2023), followed by (around 30,000), Washington, D.C. (over 10,000), , , and . Smaller-scale flights targeted specific sites, such as a 2022 charter to carrying 49 migrants to underscore federal policy burdens. Relocations prioritize cities migrants nominate, often aligning with asylum claim destinations, thereby facilitating family reunifications while distributing costs beyond , as justified by Abbott's office.

Controversies

Debates on Efficacy and Resource Allocation

Supporters of Operation Lone Star, including Texas Governor and state officials, assert its efficacy in deterring illegal border crossings and enhancing public safety, citing a 51% reduction in U.S. Border Patrol apprehensions within Texas sectors from fiscal year 2023 to 2024, compared to national trends. They attribute this decline to state-led measures like barrier construction and deployments, which shifted migrant traffic to other border states such as and , where encounters rose proportionally. reports under Operation Lone Star have documented over 500,000 migrant apprehensions and arrests of more than 40,000 individuals with criminal records since inception, arguing these outcomes justify state intervention amid perceived federal inaction. Critics, including advocacy groups like the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and Every Texan, contend that Operation Lone Star's deterrence claims are overstated, as many reported "apprehensions" involve trespassing on private ranch land rather than preventing high-risk , with limited impact on overall operations or root migration drivers. They point to U.S. and Protection data showing broader southwest border encounter declines in 2024-2025 attributable to Mexican government enforcement and U.S. policy shifts, such as asylum restrictions, rather than Texas-specific actions, noting that intensified state patrols merely displaced crossings without reducing national inflows. Independent analyses, including those from , highlight that while Texas apprehensions fell, the program's focus on low-level enforcement yields marginal returns relative to scale, with routes adapting via maritime or northern vectors. On resource allocation, proponents maintain that expenditures—totaling over $11 billion in state funds from 2021 through mid-2025—are a necessary response to federal policy failures, with calls for reimbursement via federal legislation like the proposed $12 billion border package to offset costs without burdening taxpayers long-term. This investment, they argue, has yielded tangible security gains, including seized narcotics valued at billions and infrastructure like 100 miles of barriers, prioritizing border sovereignty over alternative state spending. Opponents argue the program's costs represent inefficient allocation, diverting funds from critical areas like , healthcare, and local , with per-apprehension expenses exceeding federal operations and yielding duplicative efforts amid declining crossings. Reports from groups like Every Texan estimate billions funneled into militarized enforcement with negligible deterrence against persistent migration pressures, labeling it performative amid a "fading crisis" and advocating redirection toward comprehensive federal reforms over state-level escalation. Texas legislative testimonies in 2025 have debated sustaining $6.5 billion in additional funding, with skeptics questioning returns as migrant numbers stabilized independently.

Humanitarian and Civil Rights Claims

Critics of Operation Lone Star, including advocacy groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Human Rights Watch (HRW), have alleged that the initiative's enforcement tactics, including razor wire barriers and National Guard deployments, have led to humanitarian harms such as migrant injuries, drownings, and denial of basic aid. In July 2023, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper whistleblower claimed that state directives under OLS instructed personnel to deny water to dehydrated migrants in extreme heat and to allow bloodied individuals wounded by concertina wire to remain untreated until federal agents intervened, prompting investigations by the ACLU and calls for federal probes. Texas officials, including Governor Greg Abbott's office, denied these specific orders, asserting that barriers are designed to deter illegal crossings and that any injuries stem from migrants attempting dangerous Rio Grande traversals facilitated by cartels, with drownings predating OLS amid a broader surge in migration attempts since 2021. Family separation claims emerged in August 2023, when reports indicated that authorities under OLS had separated at least 26 migrant family units since July 10 by arresting adult males—typically fathers—for trespassing on state land near the border, leaving women and children to proceed unaccompanied or seek federal processing. Democratic lawmakers, including Congressman , urged the Biden administration to investigate these practices as a "harsh deterrence tactic" echoing federal zero-tolerance policies, though defended the arrests as enforcement against and human smuggling, noting that federal authorities handle asylum claims without state involvement in separations. Empirical data on border drownings shows 498 water-related migrant deaths recorded by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in and from 2017 to 2023, with investigative reports claiming over 850 incidents in the during the same period, attributing some increases to deterrence measures like buoys and barriers that allegedly force riskier routes; however, overall migration volumes under federal policies rose sharply post-2021, complicating direct causal links to OLS . Civil rights allegations include prolonged detentions and discriminatory practices, with an August 2023 ACLU lawsuit against border counties claiming four migrants were held up to six weeks beyond federal release eligibility on trespassing charges under OLS, violating due process. The U.S. Department of Justice launched a civil rights investigation in July 2022 into potential discrimination by OLS personnel against migrants based on national origin, focusing on stops and searches, though no formal charges or findings have been publicly detailed as of 2025. Additional claims target OLS's prosecution of migrants as human smugglers for transporting family or acquaintances, with HRW reporting in July 2024 that such charges ensnare non-professional drivers amid over 40,000 smuggling-related arrests since 2021, potentially exacerbating backlogs without addressing cartel-led trafficking. Regarding migrant busing to interior cities, initiated in 2022 as part of OLS's relocation strategy, critics including the ACLU argued in a federal lawsuit that 's facilitated involuntary transport without adequate notice or resources, burdening destination communities and risking exploitation; countered that participation is voluntary, with migrants signing consents and receiving stipends, aiming to distribute federal processing burdens rather than abandon individuals. These claims, often amplified by left-leaning advocacy organizations with histories of opposing , contrast with OLS metrics of over 500,000 apprehensions and 40,000 smuggling arrests by mid-2025, which attributes to disrupting dangerous operations that inherently endanger migrants more than state deterrence.

Federal Opposition and Litigation

The Biden administration has opposed key physical deterrence measures implemented under Operation Lone Star, asserting that they infringe on exclusive federal authority over and border security as established by the of the U.S. Constitution. Officials from the Department of (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) have argued that state-placed barriers hinder Border Patrol agents' ability to process migrants and respond to emergencies, potentially endangering lives and complicating federal operations amid high crossing volumes. A prominent case involves Texas's installation of a 1,000-foot floating barrier of spherical buoys, equipped with netting and beneath the surface, in the near , beginning in July 2023. The DOJ filed a civil against the state on July 24, 2023, claiming the barrier violated the Rivers and Harbors of 1899 by obstructing navigable waters without required U.S. Corps of Engineers approval, and that it posed safety risks including drowning hazards from submerged hazards. U.S. District Judge David Ezra issued a preliminary in December 2023 ordering partial removal, but the Fifth U.S. of Appeals vacated it in July 2024, permitting the barrier to remain during litigation, citing insufficient evidence of federal harm outweighing Texas's security interests. Another major dispute centers on Texas's deployment of concertina wire—coiled razor wire barriers—along approximately 30 miles of the starting in late 2023 to impede unauthorized crossings. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents cut sections of the wire to rescue distressed migrants or facilitate processing, prompting Texas to sue DHS in federal court for an . The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas granted a preliminary in December 2023, barring wire removal except in cases of imminent medical threat, but the Biden administration appealed. On January 22, 2024, the U.S. , in a shadow docket decision, vacated the , affirming CBP's authority to access border areas and remove obstructions as necessary for federal duties without state interference. These cases reflect broader federal challenges to OLS infrastructure, including lawsuits alleging state barriers on block CBP access, with courts consistently upholding federal primacy in matters while ongoing appeals test the limits of state claims amid disputed federal enforcement efficacy.

State Assertions of Authority and Resolutions

Texas Governor has asserted the state's constitutional authority to defend its territory from what he describes as an "invasion" facilitated by federal immigration policies, declaring on September 20, 2023, that the Biden administration's approach violates the compact between states and the federal government under Article IV, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, which requires protection against invasion. maintained that this federal failure empowers to exercise its sovereign police powers and Tenth Amendment reserved rights to secure the border independently through Operation Lone Star, including barrier construction and deployments. In response to federal challenges, has litigated to preserve its barriers, arguing that state-installed measures like and floating buoys in the constitute legitimate absent effective federal . A U.S. District Court in the Western District of Texas ruled on December 29, 2023, that U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents could cut only when necessary to provide emergency medical aid or address imminent safety risks, enjoining broader interference; the Fifth of Appeals affirmed this limited scope in a , 2024, decision following evidentiary hearings that found routine federal cuttings exceeded operational necessities. For the river buoys deployed in July 2023, the Fifth Circuit ruled on July 30, 2024, that they could remain in place pending trial on navigability claims, rejecting immediate federal removal demands. These rulings underscore 's position that federal does not extend to scenarios where the national government neglects its border duties, though a January 22, 2024, Supreme Court order vacated a broader against wire removal, permitting federal access while litigation continues. The has reinforced these assertions via concurrent resolutions affirming Operation Lone Star's legal foundation and efficacy. Senate Concurrent Resolution 39, adopted in the 89th Legislature session, commended the operation's role in reducing illegal crossings and drug seizures, explicitly supporting state-led security as a response to federal shortcomings without awaiting congressional reimbursement. House Concurrent Resolution 40 similarly urged federal reimbursement for incurred costs exceeding $10 billion but framed Texas's actions as independently justified under state authority. No comprehensive federal-state resolution has emerged as of October 2025, with Texas sustaining deployments amid ongoing suits, including victories blocking certain federal obstructions and plans for further expansions like additional marine barriers.

National and Interstate Ramifications

Influence on Federal Policy Shifts

Texas's Operation Lone Star prompted multiple federal policy adjustments through litigation and political pressure during the Biden administration. filed over 100 lawsuits against Biden-era initiatives by November 2024, securing victories that blocked or delayed policies such as the "parole in place" program for undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens, which a federal court permanently enjoined in November 2024. These suits, often supported by data from Operation Lone Star operations documenting over 500,000 illegal crossings and 40,000 criminal arrests by state forces since March 2021, compelled the Department of Homeland Security to retain elements of prior enforcement frameworks, including challenges to expansions of (DACA). Federal courts affirmed Texas's arguments that such programs violated the Immigration and Nationality Act by circumventing statutory limits on parole authority. The initiative's scale, including state-led barriers and migrant busing to interior cities, highlighted resource strains on federal agencies, contributing to a June 4, 2024, by President Biden that suspended asylum processing when daily migrant encounters exceeded 2,500, marking a restrictive shift from earlier policies emphasizing humanitarian releases. This measure, which reduced encounters by over 50% in subsequent months per U.S. and Border Protection data, responded to sustained border pressures amplified by Texas's independent enforcement, which lowered apprehensions in its sectors by redirecting flows elsewhere. Congressional efforts also emerged to reimburse states, with proposals in 2025 seeking $11 billion for Texas's expenditures on Operation Lone Star, reflecting acknowledgment of state-federal imbalances in border funding. The program's demonstration of state-led deterrence influenced post-2024 federal realignments under President Trump. By January 2025, Texas coordinated with the Trump administration to integrate Operation Lone Star tactics into national strategy, including expanded deployments and interior enforcement, as evidenced by joint operations arresting over 3,000 undocumented individuals in Texas by September 2025. Trump's early 2025 directives echoed Texas's model by prioritizing mass deportations and border militarization, reducing state spending needs as federal resources assumed primary roles. This shift validated Operation Lone Star's empirical approach—yielding over 1,000 miles of state barriers and a 60% drop in Texas-sector crossings by mid-2024—as a blueprint for reversing Biden-era leniency, with federal policy now emphasizing deterrence over catch-and-release.

Support and Coordination from Other States

Several Republican-led states have deployed troops, personnel, and other resources to bolster Operation Lone Star's border security efforts, particularly in response to increased migrant crossings and drug trafficking. By August 2023, fourteen states had provided such assistance, including , , , , , , , , , , , , , and . This coordination was highlighted during a joint press conference on August 25, 2023, in , where Governors (), (), (), (), and () emphasized collaborative measures to address perceived federal inaction on border enforcement. Florida provided one of the largest contributions, deploying nearly 500 soldiers starting May 21, 2023, to support operations along the Texas-Mexico border. Additional Florida deployments included 50 National Guardsmen and 75 troopers in February 2024, alongside further and State Guard units integrated with state law enforcement agencies. committed 200 National Guard troops to Operation Lone Star missions focused on migrant apprehensions and narcotics interdiction. Midwest states such as Iowa, , and Nebraska collectively expended millions from state budgets to deploy troops for similar tasks, including river patrols and barrier construction support, under the Operation Lone Star framework. funded multiple National Guard rotations independently through state resources. These deployments, often initiated via interstate compacts or gubernatorial agreements, enabled enhanced , arrests, and seizures, with partner states conducting operational briefings through Lone Star starting in March 2024. The assistance reflects a broader interstate effort among governors prioritizing state-level action on , independent of federal Title 32 activations.

References

  1. https://gov.texas.gov/operationlonestar
  2. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-holds-the-line-to-defend-southern-border
  3. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-buses-over-50000-migrants-to-sanctuary-cities
  4. https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/news/cornyn-leads-bill-to-reimburse-texas-for-border-security-costs/
  5. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-victories-in-floating-marine-barriers-busing-cases
  6. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/texas-partners-with-trump-administration-on-border-security
  7. https://www.uscis.gov/laws-and-policy/legislation/immigration-and-nationality-act
  8. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1325
  9. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45020
  10. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48525
  11. https://ohss.dhs.gov/topics/immigration/immigration-enforcement
  12. https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-land-border-encounters
  13. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/biden-immigration-legacy
  14. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/01/11/key-facts-about-u-s-immigration-policies-and-bidens-proposed-changes/
  15. https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/LSB/HTML/LSB10574.html
  16. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/press-release/us-supreme-court-resoundingly-upholds-executive-authority-immigration-enforcement-priorities
  17. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-american-people-against-invasion/
  18. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-dps-launch-operation-lone-star-to-address-crisis-at-southern-border
  19. https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-announces-march-2021-operational-update
  20. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-announces-expansion-of-operation-lone-star-to-include-anti-human-trafficking-efforts
  21. https://tmd.texas.gov/operation-lone-star-border-support-mission
  22. https://www.texastribune.org/2022/03/30/operation-lone-star-texas-explained/
  23. https://www.nationalguard.mil/News/Article-View/Article/4062794/texas-national-guard-operation-lone-star-helps-secure-border/
  24. https://www.army.mil/article/285310/texas_guard_bolsters_border_efforts_along_rio_grande
  25. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-advances-construction-of-historic-border-wall
  26. https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article_4e506c7e-5e54-11ef-b1c4-03448f29c7be.html
  27. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-boosts-border-response-with-new-marine-barriers
  28. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/texas-expands-floating-marine-barriers-to-secure-the-border
  29. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-deploys-drone-technology-to-secure-the-border
  30. https://www.army.mil/article/282975/texas_national_guard_operation_lone_star_helps_secure_border
  31. https://www.nationalguard.mil/Features/2025/Securing-the-Southern-Border/?videoid=952444&dvpmoduleid=140101
  32. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-orders-dps-tmd-to-use-every-available-strategy-to-combat-border-crisis
  33. https://texasscorecard.com/state/texas-to-crack-down-on-human-trafficking-as-biden-administration-loosens-border-security/
  34. https://www.dps.texas.gov/operationlonestar
  35. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-renews-border-crisis-disaster-declaration-in-43-counties
  36. https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/EO-GA-37_transportation_of_migrants_during_COVID_IMAGE_07-28-2021.pdf
  37. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-signs-border-security-funding-into-law
  38. https://www.texastribune.org/2022/07/07/greg-abbott-texas-operation-lonestar/
  39. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-takes-historic-action-throughout-2022
  40. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-bolsters-historic-border-security-mission-in-2023
  41. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/17/texas-border-wall-funding-ends-abbott-trump/
  42. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/texas-holds-the-line-against-border-crisis-throughout-2024
  43. https://www.tpr.org/border-immigration/2025-01-27/gov-greg-abbott-deploys-400-soldiers-to-texas-border-in-support-of-trump-immigration-policies
  44. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/09/12/texas-dps-immigration-arrests-trump-deportation-operation-lone-star/
  45. https://www.facebook.com/AtascosaCountySheriffsOffice/posts/operation-lone-star-20for-2025-and-2026-operation-lone-star-an-initiative-starte/1229743055860450/
  46. https://www.dps.texas.gov/news/dps-arrests-previously-deported-mexican-national-smuggling-11-illegal-immigrants-webb-co-south
  47. https://www.dps.texas.gov/news/dps-apprehends-ms-13-gang-member-during-traffic-stop
  48. https://texasborderbusiness.com/governor-abbott-signs-key-border-security-laws/
  49. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/19/texas-border-security-spending-trump-operation-lone-star/
  50. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-continues-to-repel-hundreds-of-illegal-immigrants
  51. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-surges-to-stop-illegal-entry-of-large-groups
  52. https://www.facebook.com/TxDPS/posts/every-day-dps-troopers-are-working-to-take-dangerous-drugs-like-fentanyl-off-the/906865558282356/
  53. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-arrests-drug-smugglers-seizes-millions-in-drugs
  54. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-seizes-2.4-million-worth-of-methamphetamine
  55. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-decreases-illegal-crossings-into-texas-by-85
  56. https://cis.org/Arthur/Texass-Operation-Lone-Star-Shows-Deterrence-Works
  57. https://www.fox7austin.com/news/texas-defunds-border-wall-deportation-abbott
  58. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/texas-deploys-more-than-100-miles-of-razor-wire-to-secure-border
  59. https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/2023/03/21/operation-lone-star-barriers-along-us-mexico-el-paso-border-didnt-have-permits-feds-say/69994557007/
  60. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/30/texas-floating-barrier-rio-grande-court-ruling/
  61. https://hoodline.com/2025/05/operation-lone-star-leads-to-over-533k-immigrant-apprehensions-arrest-of-smugglers-and-cocaine-seizures-in-texas/
  62. https://www.factcheck.org/2023/10/bidens-border-wall-explained/
  63. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/04/22/texas-border-migrant-apprehensions-abbott-operation-lone-star/
  64. https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-land-border-encounters/usbp-sw-border-apprehensions
  65. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/texas-transports-over-100000-migrants-to-sanctuary-cities
  66. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/migrant-asylum-seeker-busing
  67. https://www.npr.org/2024/02/20/1232651088/texas-has-spent-over-148-million-busing-migrants-to-other-parts-of-the-country
  68. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/21/texas-migrants-busing-cost-greg-abbott/
  69. https://forumtogether.org/article/explainer-governors-transporting-migrants-to-other-states/
  70. https://www.tidc.texas.gov/operation-lone-star/
  71. https://newtools.cira.state.tx.us/upload/page/1085/2021/DeclarationofLocalStateDisaster.pdf
  72. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-renews-border-security-disaster-proclamation-in-september-2025
  73. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-defends-sovereign-authority-to-secure-border
  74. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-appeals-court-tosses-lawsuit-over-texas-migrant-transportation-bar-2023-10-27/
  75. https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-files-federal-lawsuit-challenging-texas-migrant-transportation-order
  76. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/migration-usa-bus/
  77. https://www.texastribune.org/2022/09/02/texas-migrant-bus-cost/
  78. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/3141777/texas-busing-migrants-border-costs/
  79. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/22/texas-buses-migrants-slowdown/
  80. https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/texas-has-spent-434000-on-migrant-busing-since-trump-took-office-229-million-in-total
  81. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/texas-transports-over-105000-migrants-to-sanctuary-cities
  82. https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/30/us/asylum-seekers-texas-city-mayors
  83. https://time.com/6211993/greg-abbott-migrants-buses-texas-dc-new-york/
  84. https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article_c79530bc-9877-11ef-bdb0-97638c14b892.html
  85. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/texas-stiff-resistance-shifts-illegal-crossings-to-other-border-states
  86. https://www.ilrc.org/sites/default/files/2025-02/The%2520Untenable%2520Costs%2520of%2520OLS.pdf
  87. https://everytexan.org/2025/01/29/testimony-to-the-senate-finance-committee-current-border-militarization-operations-are-a-wasteful-attempt-at-deterrence/
  88. https://www.courthousenews.com/the-mixed-legacy-of-texas-operation-lone-star/
  89. https://www.ilrc.org/press/operation-lone-star-has-funneled-billions-away-vital-resources-texans-fuel-trump%25E2%2580%2599s
  90. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/04/21/texas-border-security-spending-operation-lone-star/
  91. https://www.aclutx.org/en/publications/operation-lone-star-misinformation-and-discrimination-texas-border-enforcement
  92. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/07/20/us-texas-officials-put-migrants-danger
  93. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/texas-troopers-accounts-of-bloodied-and-drowning-migrants-on-u-s-mexico-border-unleashes-criticism
  94. https://tmd.texas.gov/setting-the-record-straight-on-operation-lone-star
  95. https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/02/us/texas-border-policy-separating-families
  96. https://castro.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-castro-and-congressional-hispanic-caucus-members-call-on-the-biden-administration-to-investigate-governor-abbotts-migrant-family-separation-practices
  97. https://www.lighthousereports.com/methodology/rio-grande/
  98. https://www.lighthousereports.com/investigation/drownings-and-deterrence-in-the-rio-grande/
  99. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/21/texas-migrants-lawsuit-aclu-operation-lone-star-detention/
  100. https://www.aclutx.org/en/press-releases/aclu-texas-texas-fair-defense-project-file-lawsuit-civil-rights-abuses-immigrants
  101. https://www.texastribune.org/2022/07/06/operation-lone-star-doj-investigation-abbott/
  102. https://www.propublica.org/article/operation-lone-star-doj-investigation-abbott
  103. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/07/23/operation-lone-star-driver-prosecutions-immigrants-and-smuggling-texas
  104. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/06/11/human-rights-watch-testimony-texas-troubled-border-security-program
  105. https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-files-lawsuit-against-state-texas-regarding-unconstitutional-sb-4
  106. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/01/22/texas-border-supreme-court-immigration/
  107. https://www.npr.org/2024/01/22/1226142790/supreme-court-texas-razor-wire
  108. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/biden-remove-texas-razor-wire-border-supreme-court-rules/
  109. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/24/texas-border-rio-grande-floating-barrier-greg-abbott-lawsuit/
  110. https://apnews.com/article/texas-border-water-barriers-doj-immigration-83bcb38e7f5ab613117634d0c439d6b6
  111. https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/justice-department-files-complaint-against-state-texas-illegally-placing-floating-buoy
  112. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/doj-sues-texas-abbott-unauthorized-anti-migration-barriers/story?id=101616585
  113. https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-wins-major-victory-against-biden-administrations-attempt-remove-rio
  114. https://litigationtracker.justiceactioncenter.org/cases/texas-v-dhs-tx-razorwire-district-court
  115. https://www.ncsl.org/resources/details/justices-allow-removal-of-texas-razor-wire-on-us-mexico-border
  116. https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/23/23A607/294669/20240102145055112_23A%2520DHS%2520v.%2520Texas%2520app.pdf
  117. https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/23/23-50869-CV1.pdf
  118. https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/immigration/texas-gov-greg-abbott-invasion-southern-border/
  119. https://gov.texas.gov/uploads/files/press/Border_Statement_1.24.2024.pdf
  120. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/texas-upholds-constitutional-right-defend-itself-from-invasion
  121. https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SCR39/id/3195112
  122. https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HCR40/id/3042661
  123. https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-wins-major-victory-blocking-biden-harris-administrations-unlawful-parole
  124. https://www.oag.state.tx.us/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-defeats-biden-administrations-unlawful-daca-policy-fifth-circuit
  125. https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-files-100th-lawsuit-against-biden-harris-administration
  126. https://www.npr.org/2024/06/04/nx-s1-4991917/biden-executive-order-asylum-migration-border
  127. https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/11/texas-reimbursement-operation-lone-star-border-abbott/
  128. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/operation-lone-star-gains-national-support-from-state-governors
  129. https://tmd.texas.gov/florida-national-guard-arrives-in-texas
  130. https://www.floridadisaster.org/news-media/news/20240223-florida-division-of-emergency-management-issues-updates-on-operation-lone-star/
  131. https://www.flgov.com/eog/news/press/2024/more-border-support-governor-ron-desantis-sends-additional-florida-national-guard
  132. https://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/15/texas-national-guard-border-other-states-deployment/
  133. https://nebraskapublicmedia.org/es/news/news-articles/midwest-states-far-from-us-mexico-border-have-spent-millions-to-send-troops-there/
  134. https://www.dvidshub.net/news/465904/joint-task-force-lone-star-welcomes-partner-state-support
Add your contribution
Related Hubs
User Avatar
No comments yet.