Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott says the state’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and Tren de Aragua (TdA) immigrant gang activity have reduced illegal immigration by nearly 90% and resulted in nearly 50,000 criminal arrests. It is said that it led to
The Texas-led campaign, dubbed “Operation Lone Star,” first launched in March 2021 and includes more than a dozen other Republican states, and has so far removed 530,400 undocumented immigrants, according to Abbott’s office. It said it led to arrests and more than 49,900 criminal arrests, with many more people being arrested. Over 42,900 felonies.
During this operation, Texas also became the first state to build its own border wall, continuing construction at strategic points despite President Biden halting border wall construction early in his administration.
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Texas Governor Greg Abbott has touted his state’s efforts to curb illegal immigration while criticizing the Biden administration over border policies. (Getty/Governor Greg Abbott’s Office)
“Our top priority is the safety and security of Texans, including against the growing threat of Torren de Aragua,” Abbott said on the “We will not allow them to gain a foothold.”
The governor’s office also said that during Operation Lone Star, Texas law enforcement seized more than 620 million lethal doses of fentanyl, an amount that “would exceed every man, woman, and child in the United States, Mexico, and Canada combined.” “That’s enough to kill.”
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The office noted that Mr. Abbott designated TdA, which is responsible for widespread violent crime across the United States, as a foreign terrorist organization and established a strike team to target, identify and arrest members of the organization.
Texas Department of Public Safety officers arrested four TdA members who crossed the border on New Year’s Eve, one of whom was identified as a possible gang leader.
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Torren de Aragua member arrested in Texas. (Fox News)
The statement also said Texas has transferred a total of 119,400 immigrants to Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles, where Texas has immigration protection policies in place.
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Andrew Mahallis, a spokesman for Mr. Abbott, told Fox News Digital that Operation Lone Star will cost Texas more than $11 billion, all of which will include deploying thousands of Texas National Guard and DPS troops and transporting migrants. He said the money was spent on border security efforts. Shifting to sanctuary cities, erecting strategic barriers, cracking down on violent gangs like TdA, and building new border walls.
“Thanks to these efforts, Texas has reduced illegal border crossing into the state by 87 percent,” Maharelis said. “Texas has been holding the line against the Biden-Harris border crisis for the past four years, and Governor Abbott looks forward to continuing to work closely with President Trump and the incoming administration to protect our state and nation. .”
Peter Pinedo is a political writer for Fox News Digital.
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