The state of Texas has now sent more than 500 buses of migrants out of state to various cities across the country, Gov. Greg Abbott said.
"Texas began busing migrants to sanctuary cities last year to provide relief to overwhelmed border towns... Over 500 buses have left the state." the governor tweeted.
According to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission, “Operation Lone Star” was launched by Abbot in March 2021. Its purpose, the commission said, was to increase immigration defenses, and in the time since its inception, it has provided funding to various indigent defense departments.
As a part of Operation Lone Star, since April 2022, Texas has transported over 10,000 migrants to Washington DC, according to a news release from the governor. Additionally, since August 2022, it has sent more than 8,200 migrants to New York City, and over 2,600 migrants to Chicago. Texas has also sent migrants to Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles.
Since the commencement of Operation Lone Star, the initiative has resulted in the detention of more than 384,000 undocumented immigrants and more than 29,000 arrests related to criminal activities, which includes more than 28,000 reported charges of felony, the governor's news release said. Moreover, the release reports, in the battle against the opioid crisis, law enforcement in Texas has confiscated over 419 million fatal doses of fentanyl throughout this border operation.
Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas National Guard, are persistently collaborating to fortify the border. Their efforts aim to halt the illegal transportation of narcotics, weapons and individuals into Texas, and to impede, identify and intercept international criminal activities occurring between entry ports, the release says.
Abbott envisions a future for Texas that is even more robust, with an emphasis on generating employment and economic prospects, preparing future leaders through education, safeguarding individual freedoms and bolstering the security of the southern border amid the absence of federal initiative, according to his official state bio.
