Texas sends over 100,000 migrants to other US states

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
27 Jan 2024 15:28
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Texas has sent over 102,000 migrants across state borders within the United States as part of its Operation Lone Star.

A guardsman walks over rail cars with Concertina wire along the Texas-Mexico border, January 3, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (AP)

In a sweeping move aimed at addressing the surge in migration into the United States, Texas Governor Greg Abbott's office has revealed that more than 102,000 individuals have been relocated to various parts of the United States under the state's border security initiative, Operation Lone Star.

Primarily targeted at removing illegal immigrants from Texas, the program has seen large numbers transported to cities such as New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, Denver, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.

The governor's office revealed that since April 2022, over 12,500 migrants were sent to Washington, DC, and from August 2022 onwards, more than 37,500 migrants found themselves in New York City, with another 31,200 sent to Chicago.

Additionally, 16,000 migrants were relocated to Denver, 3,400 to Philadelphia, and 1,500 to Los Angeles as part of this extensive initiative.

Increased border measures

Operation Lone Star, characterized by heightened border security measures, has enabled Texas authorities to independently seize an astounding 454 million lethal doses of the illegal drug fentanyl. The operation has also resulted in the apprehension of nearly half a million migrants attempting to cross the southern border illegally.

To deter the increasing influx of migrants, Texas law enforcement officials erected barbed wire fences along the state's border with Mexico. The state also implemented measures such as the detention, prosecution, and imprisonment of undocumented migrants.

The confrontation with federal agencies reached a critical point earlier this month when Texas deployed state National Guard troops to obstruct federal Border Patrol agents from accessing a 2.5-mile section along the border with Mexico. After this incident, the matter was presented to the Supreme Court, which ultimately ruled in favor of the federal government.

However, the legality and extent of Texas' actions have faced challenges. On Monday, the US Supreme Court issued a temporary order allowing Border Patrol agents to remove barriers set up by Texas.

The following day, Department of Homeland Security General Counsel Jonathan Meyer sent a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, requesting confirmation of federal access to border sites by Friday.

This comes after the United States in December documented a historic high of 302,000 migrants at the southern border in a single month. This record-breaking trend has persisted throughout President Joe Biden's three-year tenure, posing significant challenges to the nation's immigration policies and causing plenty of domestic tensions regarding the issue.

Standoff widens

Abbott said on Friday that the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard continue to work together to secure the border, amid a standoff with the Biden administration over its open-border policy.

On Monday, the US Supreme Court issued a temporary order to allow federal Border Patrol agents to remove the barriers placed by Texas.

Abbott said in a statement published on Texas' website that the state continues to "stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas; and prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal activity between ports of entry."

On Wednesday, the Texas Governor stressed in a statement the state's constitutional right to defend and protect itself in light of what he considered the Biden administration’s failure to secure the border.