Red state illegal immigration results in nearly 50,000 criminal arrests

According to Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott, the state’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and Tren de Aragua (TdA) migrant gang activity have reduced illegal crossings by nearly 90% and resulted in close to 50,000 criminal arrests.

Abbott’s office said the Texas-led campaign called “Operation Lonestar,” which first launched in March 2021 and has seen the participation of over a dozen other Republican states, has led to 530,400 apprehensions of illegal immigrants and over 49,900 criminal arrests, with more than 42,900 charges.

During this operation, Texas also became the first state to build a border wall on its own, continuing border wall construction at strategic points despite President Biden putting a stop to it in the early days of 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 its border policy. (Getty/Office of Governor Greg Abbott)

“Our top priority is the safety and security of Texans, including against the growing threat of the Tren de Aragua,” Abbott said the X. “We will not allow this gang to operate or gain a foothold in Texas.”

The governor’s office also said that during Operation Lonestar, Texas law enforcement seized over 620 million lethal doses of fentanyl, which they said is “enough to kill every man, woman and child in the United States, Mexico and Canada combined.”

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The office noted that Abbott designated TdA, whose violent crimes have swept the nation, a foreign terrorist organization and launched a strike team to target, identify and arrest members of the group.

Troopers from the Texas Department of Public Safety arrested four TdA members crossing the border on New Year’s Eve, one of whom was identified as a possible high-ranking member of the gang.

TREN DE ARAGUA IS BELIEVED TO BE BEHIND MURDER OF IMMIGRATION OFFICIAL NEAR GÄSSEN

Tren de Aragua members arrested in Texas. (Fox News)

The statement also said Texas has transported a total of 119,400 migrants to Washington, DC, New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles, all of which have migrant sanctuary policies in place.

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Andrew Mahaleris, a spokesman for Abbott, told Fox News Digital that Operation Lone Star has cost Texas more than $11 billion, all of which was spent on efforts to secure the border, including the deployment of thousands of Texas National Guard troops and DPS troops, transporting migrants to sanctuary cities, installing strategic barriers, cracking down on violent gangs like TdA and building a new border wall.

“Because of these efforts, Texas has reduced illegal crossings into the state by 87%,” Mahaleris said. “Texas has held 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 his incoming administration to protect our state and nation.”