Gov. Abbott says crews are working around the clock to secure border in federal government’s absence.
The Texas National Guard began installing more razor wire along the border this week to stop illegal immigrants from crossing into Texas from Mexico.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted images of National Guard soldiers unraveling bundles of razor-lined wire at the border, on Monday.
“Texas National Guard are installing additional layers of razor wire in high-traffic areas for illegal crossings at the Texas-Mexico border,” the governor said. “They’re working around the clock to secure the border in the federal government’s absence.”
The move comes just days after Abbott issued a press release on Dec. 29, 2022, highlighting actions taken by the state through Operation Lone Star to take on illegal immigration where federal agencies have failed.
Abbott said the multi-agency effort led to over 336,000 migrant apprehensions and more than 23,000 criminal arrests since its launch in March 2021.
Of those criminal arrests, over 20,000 felony charges were filed.
Abbott also said the Texas Department of Public Safety, which is collaborating with the National Guard to execute Operation Lone Star, seized over 354 million lethal doses of fentanyl.
“Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps left by the Biden Administration’s refusal to secure the border,” Abbott’s press release read. “Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Biden’s open border policies.”