Newly released data from Governor Greg Abbott indicates that his initiative, Operation Lone Star, has resulted in the capture of over 488,500 illegal immigrants at the southern border. The operation was launched in 2021.
Abbott announced on social media that Texas law enforcement has seized over 450 million doses of fentanyl. That is, in addition to apprehending migrants.
“Texas is holding the line,” he wrote.
The Texas governor has implemented measures to reduce illegal migration into the state. One action involved installing a 1,000-foot-long string of 4-foot-wide orange spherical buoys in the Rio Grande in Eagle Pass, Texas.
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However, a federal appeals court recently upheld a lower court ruling directing Texas to remove the buoys. The court found that the state had violated laws governing navigable waterways by placing the barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border.
In the fiscal year 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol encountered over 2.2 million migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. This marked a notable increase from the 1.9 million met the previous year.
The border crisis has evolved into a national concern for many Americans. This is particularly evident as Governor Abbott has been transporting thousands of migrants to Democratic cities across the country.
POLL — Should the U.S. Government Create a Path to Citizenship for Undocumented Immigrants?
Now, northern U.S. cities are dealing with two problems at once: more migrants and homeless people, and it’s happening as the weather gets colder. On Sunday, President Joe Biden expressed his readiness to make “significant compromises on the border.”
Even as Republicans persisted in blocking wartime aid in Congress. Republicans argue that the record numbers of migrants crossing the southern border pose a security threat. They believe authorities can’t adequately screen all the migrants, and those entering the United States are straining the country’s resources.
The U.S.-Mexico border region is dangerous, and migrants often face violence, extortion, and other abuses during their journeys. Many arrive in extreme hardship, fleeing violence, poverty, and persecution in their home countries.
ALSO READ: Federal Court’s Ruling Favors Texas in Border Battle Against Biden Administration
Unfortunately, a controversial immigration bill that addresses illegal entry has been sent to the governor’s office. Texas Senate Bill 4, if approved, would empower all police officers statewide to arrest migrants entering the country illegally.
The legislature passed it, and it’s now awaiting Abbott’s signature. The bill treats illegal entry as a misdemeanor. People caught can go back through a legal entry point or face prosecution, possibly leading to conviction and deportation.
Mexico criticized the measure, saying it may lead to family separations and racial profiling. Similar bills await approval in other states like Florida, Louisiana, and North Carolina.
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