The deployment of the Texas National Guard to the US-Mexico border, primarily through Operation Lone Star (launched in 2021 by Governor Greg Abbott), is a state-led initiative involving nearly 5,000 Guard members alongside the Texas Department of Public Safety. 

The Guard’s presence acts as a natural deterrent, contributing to an 87% decrease in illegal crossings in Texas through patrols, overwatch positions, and barriers like razor wire. Surveillance teams using thermal cameras and sensors have detected over 194,000 potential crossings since 2021, enabling proactive turnbacks of migrant groups before they enter.

Deployment has led to over 397,900 immigrant apprehensions and 31,800 criminal arrests, including 29,300 felony charges, targeting smugglers and cartel affiliates. This includes high-profile cases like arresting a 14-year-old smuggler and gang members, directly disrupting transnational crime networks.

Operations have seized over 422 million lethal doses of fentanyl, protecting communities from the opioid crisis. Guard patrols in high-threat areas, such as near Laredo and El Paso, intercept narcotics, cash, and weapons, with officials crediting the effort for making Texas safer.

The federal government’s lax policies necessitate state action, invoking Texas’s constitutional right to defend its border. The Guard deputized under recent agreements with U.S. Customs and Border Protection gains arrest powers, allowing direct enforcement where federal resources fall short.

Guard engineers widen roads, clear riverbank brush, and build observation posts, aiding Border Patrol mobility. This symbiotic partnership has disrupted over 138,000 smuggling events and detained 264,000 individuals, with Guard members describing the mission as rewarding and impactful.

By busing over 10,600 migrants to cities like Washington, D.C., and New York since 2022, Texas highlights the crisis’s nationwide scope, pressuring federal response while easing local strain.