Border Governors Challenge Federal Authority in Operation Lone Star

Operation Lone Star, a multi-agency effort led by Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Texas National Guard, continues to secure the southern border, resulting in over 496,700 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 38,700 criminal arrests. Texas law enforcement has seized over 454 million lethal doses of fentanyl and transported thousands of migrants to various cities. Governor Abbott has issued a statement asserting Texas' constitutional right to self-defense in response to the Biden Administration's failure to secure the border, while recent highlights include the arrest of a teenage smuggler, a smuggling guide wanted for murder, and the deployment of high-tech surveillance systems by the Texas National Guard.