Border Crisis Update

President Biden’s reckless open border policies have created an ongoing crisis at our southern border as record levels of illegal immigrants, deadly drugs, and weapons pour into Texas.

Texas is taking historic action to respond to this border crisis. In 2021, Governor Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star, deploying the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to the southern border. Operation Lone Star personnel work around-the-clock to detect and repel illegal crossings, arrest human smugglers and cartel gang members, and stop the flow of deadly drugs and weapons into our nation. While the federal government ignores this crisis, Texas is holding the line.

Join our Historic Efforts to Secure the Border

The State of Texas is funding our historic border security efforts through appropriations of Texas taxpayer dollars from the Texas Legislature and donations from Texans and Americans like you. From building our own border wall, to busing migrants to self-declared sanctuary cities, to supporting the brave efforts of the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety, you can contribute below to support Operation Lone Star.

Border Transportation Funding Donations

As of September 25, 2023: $1,337,524

Donate to the Border Transportation Funding

Border Wall Funding Donations

As of September 25, 2023: $55,421,944

Donate to the Texas Border Wall funding

Border Security Funding Donations

As of September 25, 2023: $101,988

Donate to the Texas Border Security Funding

President Biden’s open-border policies have led to a humanitarian crisis at our southern border as record levels of illegal immigrants, drugs, and contraband pour into Texas. The State of Texas is working collaboratively with communities impacted by the border crisis to arrest and detain individuals coming into Texas illegally. Our efforts will only be effective if we work together to secure the border, make criminal arrests, protect landowners, rid our communities of dangerous drugs, and provide Texans with the support they need and deserve.

Latest Update

May 8, 2023
Governor Abbott Deploys New Texas Tactical Border Force
Governor Greg Abbott today announced the deployment of the new Texas Tactical Border Force to the Texas-Mexico border to respond to the growing border crisis at Austin Bergstrom International Airport in Austin. “With the ending of Title 42 on Thursday, President Biden is laying down the welcome mat to people across the entire world, but Texas is deploying our new Texas Tactical Border Force. The Texas National Guard is loading Blackhawk helicopters and C-130s and deploying specially trained soldiers for the Texas Tactical Border Force, who will be deployed to hotspots all along the border to help intercept and repel large groups of migrants trying to enter Texas illegally. The Texas Tactical Border Force will bolster our Operation Lone Star efforts to secure the Texas border amid the chaos caused by President Biden’s elimination of Title 42.”

January 30, 2023
Governor Abbott Announces New Texas Border Czar
Governor Greg Abbott today announced the new position of Texas Border Czar to oversee border security in President Joe Biden's absence at a press conference on a Texas border wall construction site in San Benito. Mike Banks has been hired as Special Advisor on Border Matters to the Governor and will serve as the State of Texas' first-ever Border Czar. "For nearly two years, the State of Texas has taken unprecedented, historic action under Operation Lone Star in response to the Biden Administration's refusal to secure the border. As an award-winning Border Patrol Agent, with decades of federal law enforcement and border security experience, Mike is the perfect choice to oversee Texas' fight against the surge of illegal immigration, lethal drugs, and deadly weapons flowing into our state and nation."

November 16, 2022
Governor Abbott Orders DPS, TMD To Use Every Available Strategy To Combat Border Crisis
Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Texas Military Department (TMD) to expand their unprecedented efforts to combat the growing illegal immigration along the Texas-Mexico border. In a letter to DPS Director Steve McCraw and TMD Adjutant General Thomas Suelzer, the Governor outlined the need for the Operation Lone Star partners to defend Texas against what amounts to an invasion of America's southern border. “Until Congress acts or the Biden Administration does its constitutionally required job, Texas Guardsmen and Troopers must bear the burden of securing the border. You must continue to keep Texans and Americans safe and protect against an invasion of the southern border. I order you to use all resources and tools available to repel immigrants from attempting to cross illegally, arrest those who cross illegally and return them to the border, and arrest criminals who violate Texas law.”

September 21, 2022
Governor Abbott Designates Mexican Cartels As Terrorist Organizations
Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations and instructing the Texas Department of Public Safety to take immediate action to keep Texans safe amid the growing national fentanyl crisis. The Governor also sent a letter to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris requesting federal terrorist classifications for the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel, as well as other cartels producing and distributing deadly fentanyl. “Fentanyl is a clandestine killer, and Texans are falling victim to the Mexican cartels that are producing it. Cartels are terrorists, and it’s time we treated them that way. In fact, more Americans died from fentanyl poisoning in the past year than all terrorist attacks across the globe in the past 100 years. In order to save our country, particularly our next generation, we must do more to get fentanyl off our streets.”

July 7, 2022
Governor Abbott Authorizes Texas National Guard, Texas Department Of Public Safety To Return Illegal Immigrants To Border
Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order authorizing and empowering the Texas National Guard and the Texas Department of Public Safety to apprehend illegal immigrants who illegally cross the border between ports of entry and return them to the border. The Biden Administration's decision to end Title 42 expulsions and the Remain-in-Mexico policy has led to historic levels of illegal crossings, with 5,000 migrants being apprehended over the July 4th weekend, creating a border crisis that has overrun communities along the border and across Texas. "While President Biden refuses to do his job and enforce the immigration laws enacted by Congress, the State of Texas is once again stepping up and taking unprecedented action to protect Americans and secure our southern border. The cartels have become emboldened and enriched by President Biden's open border policies, smuggling in record numbers of people, weapons, and deadly drugs like fentanyl."

June 29, 2022
Governor Abbott Expands Border Security Operations
Governor Greg Abbott announced the expansion of the state’s border security operations by creating Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) strike teams, establishing new vehicle inspection checkpoints targeting semi-trucks, and the deployment of additional resources from the Texas Military Department to mitigate President Biden's growing border crisis. "The Lone Star State will not sit idly by as the federal government chooses to ignore the historic number of illegal crossings, human smuggling, and drug trafficking of deadly fentanyl from Mexico into the United States. Our government has no greater responsibility than to provide public safety to its citizens. Until President Biden decides to uphold immigration laws passed by Congress, the State of Texas will continue utilizing every tool available to secure the border and keep Texans — and Americans — safe."

June 17, 2022
Governor Abbott Provides Update In Mission On Texas’ Ongoing Border Security Preparations For Incoming Migrant Caravans
Governor Greg Abbott held a press conference at the Anzalduas International Bridge in Mission on the State of Texas’ ongoing border security preparations ahead of the latest migrant caravans headed to the Texas-Mexico border. "The State of Texas has been working for the past month on preparations for the latest approaching caravans because the Biden Administration is failing to do its job of securing the nation's borders… The National Guard and DPS are conducting mass-migration rehearsals to implement flexible strategies to deter illegal crossings at any point along the border where they occur."

May 20, 2022
Governor Abbott Activates Joint Border Security Operations Center In Preparation For Mass Migrant Influx As Biden Ends Title 42 Expulsions
"Texas will not stand by as President Biden puts our state and our nation in danger by ending Title 42 expulsions and allowing dangerous criminals, illegal weapons, and deadly drugs like fentanyl to flow unabated into the United States, and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis at our southern border," said Governor Abbott. "We continue taking unprecedented action to secure the border, ramping up every available strategy and resource in response to President Biden's ongoing border crisis. The Joint Border Security Operations Center will play an integral role in our state's robust response to provide the border security strategy Texans — and Americans — deserve."

April 6, 2022
Governor Abbott Takes Aggressive Action To Secure The Border As President Biden Ends Title 42 Expulsions
"The Biden Administration's open-border policies have paved the way for dangerous cartels and deadly drugs to pour into the United States, and this crisis will only be made worse by ending Title 42 expulsions," said Governor Abbott. "With the end of Title 42 expulsions looming next month, Texas will immediately begin taking unprecedented action to do what no state has done in American history to secure our border. The new strategies announced today and next week will further strengthen our already robust response to the Biden border disaster, and we will use any and all lawful powers to curtail the flow of drugs, human traffickers, illegal immigrants, weapons, and other contraband into Texas."