Operation Lone Star

Operation Lone Star (OLS) is a joint operation between the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Military Department along the southern border between Texas and Mexico. According to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, the operation is intended to counter illegal immigration, the illegal drug trade, and human smuggling.[2] As of April 2022, OLS was spending approximately $2.5 million per week and was expected to cost approximately $2 billion per year.[3] 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.[4] According to the governor's office, OLS has resulted in 394,200 migrant apprehensions, 31,300 criminal arrests (including 29,100 felony charges), and 422 million doses of fentanyl seized.[5][6][7]

Operation Lone Star
Texas National Guard members during Operation Lone Star
DateMarch 6, 2021 – present (2021-03-06 – present)
LocationMexico–Texas border
TargetIllegal immigration to the United States
Illegal drug trade
Human smuggling
Budget$2 billion per year
ParticipantsTexas Military Department
Texas Department of Public Safety
Outcome422 million doses of fentanyl seized
Deaths10 National Guard members[1]
Arrests394,200 migrant apprehensions
31,300 criminal arrests
Charges29,100 felony charges

OLS has drawn criticism from the federal government, state officials, and migrant advocates for its treatment of migrants, including the withholding of water and orders to push migrants back into the Rio Grande.[8] Migrants have also been forced to cross unsafe areas of the Rio Grande due to razor wire set up by OLS, which has led to injuries and has caused migrants to become stuck in the wire. 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.[9]

Background and causes
See also: Immigration reform in the United States

Texas has been launching border security operations with increasing escalation since 2005 starting with Operation Linebacker by Rick Perry.[3]

Timeline
Date Notable Event
March 06, 2021 Operation Lone Star is launched[2]
May 31, 2021 Greg Abbott declares disaster via Proclamation[10]
June 16, 2021 Greg Abbott announces border wall construction strategy[11]
December 18, 2021 First section of border wall completed in Rio Grande City[12]
March 14, 2022 Major General Tracy Norris is relieved of command[13]
April 06, 2022 Bus and flight of immigrants to sanctuary city Washington, D.C., begin[14]
July 07, 2022 Greg Abbott declares invasion via Executive Order GA-41[15]
September 21, 2022 Greg Abbott designates Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations via Executive Order GA-42[16]
November 18, 2022 M113 armored personnel carriers are deployed[17]
February 03, 2023 Greg Abbott establishes Texas Border Czar position, appoints Mike Banks[18]
May 08, 2023 Greg Abbott establishes and deploys Texas Tactical Border Force[19][20]

Reactions

Public

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.[21][22]

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.[6][23] 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.[6] 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.[24]

On January 13, 2022, a state district court judge in Travis County, Texas, granted Jesus Alberto Guzman Curipoma, of Ecuador, a writ of habeas corpus, ruling that the state program violated the supremacy clause of the United States Constitution.[25] On February 25, 2022, the Third Court of Appeals in Austin affirmed the decision of the lower court.[26]

Federal government
Construction of the Rio Grande barriers by OLS

In July 2022, the United States Department of Justice opened a civil rights investigation of OLS.[27] 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.

On July 24, 2023, the DOJ filed a lawsuit in the Western District of Texas 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.[28] 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.[29] 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.[30] Texas has appealed the order to the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which issued an administrative stay of the order pending a ruling on the appeal.

Other states

On May 16, 2023, Abbott requested assistance from other state governors through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.[31] As of June 2023, 14 states have sent national guard and law enforcement officers to Texas in response, with Florida providing the most additional personnel.[32]

Results

As of July 2023, OLS has led to 394,200 migrant apprehensions, 31,300 criminal arrests (including 29,100 felony charges), and 422 million doses of fentanyl seized according to the governor's office. The state also reported busing tens of thousands of migrants to cities outside of Texas,[7] contributing to the New York City migrant housing crisis among other places.

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.[33] While those arrests were later removed following questioning from reporters, the report also found that DPS continues to include arrests in its OLS database with no clear link to the operation's stated goals.

See also

References
  1. "Another National Guard soldier working Operation Lone Star dies by suspected suicide". Texas Tribune. October 4, 2022.
  2. Aguilar, Julián (March 9, 2021). "As migrant apprehensions rise, Abbott slams Biden immigration policies in border appearance". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  3. Kriel, Lomi (April 18, 2022). "Texas has spent billions of dollars on border security. But what taxpayers got in return is a mystery". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  4. "Southwest border mission spurs 'mixed feelings' among guardsmen". Reserve & National Guard Magazine. February 1, 2023.
  5. Cuellar, Carolina (December 3, 2021). "Operation Lone Star continues indefinitely while the Texas Military Department expands border wall". KERA News. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  6. Winkie, Davis (January 4, 2022). "Another Operation Lone Star soldier dies amid morale crisis". Army Times. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  7. "Operation Lone Star Combats President Biden's Humanitarian Crisis". Office of the Texas Governor. July 21, 2023.
  8. Montoya-Galvez, Camilo (July 18, 2023). "Texas trooper alleges inhumane treatment of migrants by state officials along southern border". CBS News. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  9. Winkie, Davis; Barragán, James; Essig, Chris; Cohen, Rachel S. (February 24, 2022). "Troops slam Operation Lone Star in leaked survey". Army Times. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
  10. Abbott, Greg (May 31, 2022). "Proclamation by the Governor of the State of Texas" (PDF). Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  11. Abbott, Greg (June 16, 2021). "Governor Abbott Announces Border Wall Construction Strategy". Office of the Texas Governor. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  12. Abbott, Greg (December 18, 2021). "Governor Abbott Debuts Texas Border Wall In Rio Grande City". Office of the Texas Governor. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  13. BARRAGÁN, JAMES (March 14, 2022). "Gov. Greg Abbott replaces Texas military leader who has overseen heavily criticized border mission". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  14. "Governor Abbott Takes Aggressive Action To Secure The Border As President Biden Ends Title 42 Expulsions". Office of the Texas Governor. April 6, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  15. Abbott, Greg (July 7, 2022). "Executive Order GA 41" (PDF). Office of the Texas Governor. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  16. Abbott, Greg (September 21, 2022). "Governor Abbott Designates Mexican Cartels As Terrorist Organizations". Office of the Texas Governor. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  17. Winkie, Davis (November 18, 2022). "Texas Guard to send tank-like military vehicles to the border". Army Times. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  18. Abbott, Greg (February 3, 2023). "New Texas Border Czar Joins Operation Lone Star Mission". Office of the Texas Governor. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  19. Cook, Ellie (May 9, 2023). "How Greg Abbott's 'Elite' Texas Tactical Border Force Will Stop Migrants". Newsweek. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  20. Abbott, Greg (May 8, 2023). "Governor Abbott Deploys New Texas Tactical Border Force". Office of the Texas Governor. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  21. "Gov. Abbott's Policing of Texas Border Pushes Limits of State Power". The New York Times. July 26, 2023.
  22. "New University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll finds little confidence in the legislature's efforts to address key issues". utexas.edu. June 22, 2023.
  23. Barragan, James (January 7, 2022). "Texas lawmakers deplore mistreatment of National Guardsmen sent to border duty". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  24. Scherer, Jasper (January 6, 2022). "Texas National Guard struggles to pay soldiers, while slashing tuition help by more than half". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 9, 2022.
  25. Plohetski, Tony; Hall, Katie (January 13, 2022). "Gov. Abbott's border crackdown Operation Lone Star violates U.S. Constitution, Travis County judge says". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  26. State of Texas v. Curipoma, No. 03-22-00032CR (Tex. App.--Austin, February 25, 2022) (Retrieved March 23, 2025).
  27. Trevizo, Perla (July 6, 2022). "Justice Department is investigating Texas' Operation Lone Star for alleged civil rights violations". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  28. Montoya-Galvez, Camilo (July 24, 2023). "Biden administration sues Texas over floating border barriers used to repel migrants". CBS News. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  29. "Response in Opposition to Motion – #26 in United States v. Abbott (W.D. Tex., 1:23-cv-00853) – CourtListener.com". CourtListener. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  30. Melhado, William; García, Uriel J. (September 6, 2023). "Federal judge orders Texas to remove floating border barrier. Abbott immediately appeals the ruling". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  31. "Governor Abbott Urges Nation's Governors To Help Combat Border Crisis". texas.go. May 16, 2023.
  32. Hinojosa, Alex (June 8, 2023). "Republican states send national guard troops to Texas border in show of force". The Guardian.
  33. Kriel, Lomi; Trevizo, Perla; Calderón, Andrew Rodriguez; Blakinger, Keri (March 21, 2022). "Texas' Governor Brags About His Border Initiative. The Data Doesn't Back Him Up". ProPublica. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
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