Texas governor Gregg Abbott has gone on the record in the past stating that the goal of Operation Lone Star, his administration's plan aimed at curbing unlawful migration is "reducing illegal immigration to zero percent."
His efforts however, have not come without setbacks as the operation has been denounced for human right violations and created conflicts with neighboring states who have accused the governor of wanting to "make Texas its own country."
Over the weekend, the Dallas Morning News revealed the overall cost of Operation Lone Star to date, which has amassed a whopping $11 billion, with Abbott recently asking lawmakers for another $2.9 billion to run the program through 2027.
In all, the money has paid for more than 100 miles of razor wire, more than 45 miles of a state-built border wall, and a 1,000-foot-long buoy barrier on the Rio Grande. The operation has also bused more than 119,400 migrants from Texas to six Democratic-run cities across the country, to the tune of $221 million alone.
According to local figures published back in August, border crossings in Texas had dropped by 87% compared to its peak back in December and, while much of this decrease also coincided with the Biden administration's asylum restrictions enacted in June, Abbott has refused to acknowledge the federal government's credit, claiming that border crossings began to slow down before:
"That was after Texas began our accelerated operations to deny illegal entry, using the guard, using the razor wire, using the pepper ball."
A report by the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) in August, however, disputed the governor's claims in favor of Operation Lone Star saying that even though it is true that figures have gone down, they were part of a broader, national trend and not a result of its specific policies.
Abbott has gained national notoriety for his recent efforts against the "Tren de Aragua" gang which has increasingly ramped up its presence in the United States. Besides declaring them a "foreign terrorist group" in September, he also offered rewards for information leading to the arrest of it members.
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