Amid escalating border concerns, several state governors convened in Texas, rallying behind Governor Abbott's call for action and criticizing President Biden's approach while highlighting the tangible outcomes of Operation Lone Star.
In a show of solidarity, numerous state governors convened in Texas on August 21, 2023, to address the growing concerns over border security and illegal immigration. At a press conference, Texas Governor Gregg Abbott announced collaborative efforts from several states to aid Texas in response to what they see as a federal shortfall.
"These Governors here with me today are deploying military and law enforcement officers to help Texas secure the border," Abbott remarked, adding a pointed critique of President Joe Biden, whom he blamed for a significant uptick in illegal immigration. He claimed that the President's policies have contributed to unprecedented numbers of illegal immigrants and, tragically, a record count of people losing their lives trying to cross the border.
South Dakota Governor Noem echoed Abbott's sentiments, likening the border situation to "a war zone". She emphasized the nefarious activities of cartels and condemned President Biden for perceived neglect of the law. "The cartels are out for blood," Noem warned, drawing attention to human trafficking concerns, "These policies are inhumane. I thank Governor Abbott for his leadership and am proud to support Operation Lone Star."
In detailed statistics released on August 25, Abbott shared the outcomes of Operation Lone Star, a massive initiative involving multiple agencies to bolster border security in Texas. The operation has been instrumental in the apprehension of over 420,800 illegal immigrants and led to over 33,600 criminal arrests, with a significant portion involving felony charges. The threat of illicit drugs entering the country has also been tackled head-on, with Texas law enforcement officers confiscating over 426 million lethal doses of fentanyl.
Moreover, as a countermeasure to the influx of migrants, Texas has placed thousands of migrants on buses and shuttled them across the country. These buses have seen migrants relocated to cities like Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver, and Los Angeles in numbers reaching the tens of thousands.