enforcement

 A state-level initiative to counter the swarm of illegal immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas has, to date, resulted in more than 348,000 apprehensions and the seizure of more than 361 million doses of the deadly drug fentanyl.

The initiative, Operation Lone Star, was created by Texas's Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in March 2021. 

As Abbott explained then, “The crisis at our southern border continues to escalate because of Biden administration policies that refuse to secure the border and invite illegal immigration. Texas supports legal immigration but will not be an accomplice to the open border policies that cause, rather than prevent, a humanitarian crisis in our state and endanger the lives of Texans. . . . Read more about Gov. Abbott's Border Operation Nabs 348,000 Illegal Immigrants, 361 Million Fentanyl Doses

Texas Rep. Chip Roy has introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that would block illegal aliens from entering the United States until the border wall is under "operational control."

"'The Border Safety and Security Act' which was first introduced last year and would authorize the Homeland Security Secretary to suspend the entry of illegal immigrants into the United States, if he determines it 'necessary in order to achieve operational control' of the border," reports Fox News. 

Additionally, the legislation would mandate the suspension of entry of aliens if DHS cannot properly detain them or place them in effective programs like the Trump-era Migrant Protection Protocols (Remain in Mexico). The bill currently has 49 co-sponsors in the House. . . . Read more about Rep. Chip Roy Introduces Bill to Block Illegal Immigration until Border is Secure

In 2022 the southern border once again saw enormous migrant numbers coming across as it had in 2021, with frequently more than 200,000 encounters a month. However, the number of illegal immigrants in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention has remained relatively low throughout the crisis, even as border apprehensions take up a greater share of the detained population.There were more than 2.3 migrant encounters in Fiscal Year 2022. So far, FY 2023, which began in October has been on track to outpace that number, as numbers have surged to the border in anticipation of the end of the Title 42 public health order. . . . Read more about Amid 2022’s massive migrant surge, numbers in ICE detention remain low

Migrants are entering El Paso, Texas, at a crushing rate of 2,500 a day, but Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas managed to miss them during his visit to the beleaguered border city this week. The surge of illegal aliens is spilling onto the streets of El Paso, taxing already strained social services. Frustrated city officials report that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is releasing migrants into the community en masse.But    Mayorkas didn’t witness any of this for himself. In a tightly choreographed stop on Tuesday, the secretary met with Border Patrol agents at headquarters but did not tour any CBP processing centers, and he skirted around streets and alleys where migrants are dumped. . . . Read more about Mayorkas Turns a Blind Eye to the Bad Optics in El Paso

EAGLE PASS, Texas — Groups of migrants crossed the Rio Grande as the Border Patrol braces for the end of Title 42 enforcement. The parties forded the river and surrendered to authorities near the heart of the city on Tuesday.

The groups, numbering up to 30 in size, walked from the riverbank and surrendered to Texas Army National Guard soldiers posted in the vicinity. The guardsmen detained the migrants and arranged for their transfer to Border Patrol custody.

The crossings are significantly reduced during the daylight hours, according to law enforcement sources in the Eagle Pass area. A source within CBP says . . . Read more about Steady Stream of Migrants Flow into West Texas Border Town Before Title 42 Ends

Del Rio Sector Border Patrol agents apprehended nearly 10,000 migrants during the past week. Officials estimate more than 4,000 more got away without being apprehended.

Del Rio Sector Chief Patrol Agent Jason D. Owens tweeted a weekly recap for his sector reporting the apprehension of 9,992 migrants during the last week. In addition, another 4,232 migrants are classified as known got-aways. . . . Read more about 10K Migrants Apprehended in One Texas Border Sector Last Week, 4K More Got Away

Three Customs and Border Protection agents were shot recently during a confrontation with suspected drug smugglers off the coast of Puerto Rico. One of the officers died.

The two smugglers were also shot during the Nov. 17 incident, and one died.

The sacrifice of the CBP agent who died should have been something that politicians praised, as would have happened if a service member or police officer had died in the line of duty. . . . Read more about Letts: Sacrifices of Border Agents Go Ignored - It's Time for That to Stop

President Joe Biden’s border agency has sent a small number of rescued Cuban migrants into a holding center at a U.S. base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, according to a U.S. government broadcast network.

“More than 20 Cuban citizens are currently in the Migrant Operations Center, at the Guantánamo Naval Base (MOC), waiting for a third country to grant them refuge,” Radio Television Marti reported. The site added: The 28 migrants were rescued [at sea] by the Coast Guard and, later, transferred to the Guantánamo Naval Base in boats of the official entity between October 1, 2021 and September 30, 2022. . . . Read more about Mayorkas Detains Cuban Migrants in Guantanamo Bay

On Monday, a large group illegally crossed the southern border into the United States at El Paso, Texas and attacked Border Patrol agents. One individual in the group was carrying a giant Venezuelan flag.

Bill Melugin and Adam Shaw of Fox News reported:

[Border Patrol] said one of the protesters assaulted an agent with a flagpole while another threw a rock at agents, injuring one in the process. That in turn led Border Patrol to initiate crowd-control measures.

"These measures included the use of the authorized less-lethal force pepperball launching system," the statement said. "The crowd then dispersed and returned to Mexico." . . . Read more about Venezuelans Swarm Across Rio Grande at El Paso, Attack Border Patrol