Texas Senate examines effectiveness of Operation Lone Star
Texas Senate committee hears testimony praising Operation Lone Star's impact on reducing illegal border crossings and increasing safety since 2021. A Texas Senate committee met to discuss the effectiveness of Operation Lone Star, a program aimed at stopping illegal immigration at the border. The panel heard from members of the operation and sheriffs from border counties. Michael Banks with Gov. Greg Abbott’s office said that Texas’ actions at the borders are proving effective. The governor’’ office stated that from March 2021, when OLS went into effect, nearly half a million illegal immigrants have been prevented from crossing the border from January this year. Texas DPS Director Steven McCraw and Texas Military Department Adjunct General Thomas Suelzer also praised the operation.
Publié : il y a 10 mois par Jahmal Kennedy, http://www.facebook.com/cbsaustin dans Politics
It’s been a week since President Joe Biden issues his executive order addressing immigration at the Southern border -- a move Texas Republicans see as an election-year ploy to win re-election.
On Tuesday, a Texas Senate committee met to hear what the state is doing to secure the border. The Texas Senate Border Security Committee heard from members of Operation Lone Star as well as sheriffs from border counties.
“Typically, right now, this is the busiest part of the year, so, and right now we’re seeing the lowest numbers,” said Michael Banks with Gov. Greg Abbott’s office.
Banks says he thinks Texas’ actions at the border are proving productive. “I think the stop them at the line, don’t let them enter mentality that we’ve taken on has been very effective,” he said.
Banks was a part of a panel of speakers at Tuesday’s hearings that lauded the success of Gov. Abbott’s 2021 brainchild Operation Lone Star -- a program aimed at stopping illegal immigration at the border.
The Texas Department of Security and Texas Military Department comprise the units that make up OLS. Texas Military Department Adjunct General Thomas Suelzer agrees with Banks that the operation is very effective.
“Operation Lone Star is having a profound impact in stopping the flow of illegal immigration into the state of Texas,” says Suelzer.
Banks says safety is being increased across the board. “You’re seeing the deaths - cross-border-deaths down. You’re seeing the entries down. You’re seeing the traffic move west. They’re moving west to follow the path of least resistance,” he said.
According to the governor’s office, from March 2021, when OLS went into effect, and January of this year, nearly half a million illegal immigrants have been prevented from crossing the border.
“There’s no question that there’s no governor, there’s no state legislature that has invested so much money in protecting its citizens than Texas,” said Texas DPS Director Steven McCraw.
Border county sheriffs were also asked to provide testimony at Tuesday’s hearing. Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez spoke to the success of OLS as well. He says there’s no price tag to put on the safety of the country or its citizens.
“When it’s the safety of our communities, when it’s the safety of our country, I think that that price, we can’t put a price tag on being safe in our communities much less in our countries,” he said.
Before Banks, McCraw and Suelzer were released from speaking in front of the committee, McCraw was asked about his thoughts on the creation of a branch like a Texas Department of Homeland Security. He said, “We’ve got no issues with it, but it’s always the details in terms of what that is.”