HOUSTON — Gov. Greg Abbott announced the deployment of the Texas Tactical Border Force to the Rio Grande Valley on Monday, marking a coordinated effort with the U.S. Border Patrol under the Trump Administration to bolster border security.
Departing from military bases in Houston and Fort Worth, the Texas Tactical Border Force is adding more than 400 soldiers to the border region, along with C-130s and Chinook helicopters.
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The newly deployed forces will join thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers already stationed at the border as part of Operation Lone Star.
“Texas has a partner in the White House we can work with to secure the Texas-Mexico border,” Abbott said in a statement released Monday morning. “To support that mission, today, I deployed the Texas Tactical Border Force, comprised of hundreds of troops, to work side-by-side with U.S. Border Patrol agents to stop illegal immigrants from entering our country and to enforce immigration laws.”
Abbott praised President Donald Trump for his leadership, adding, “For the past four years, Texas held the line against the Biden Administration’s border crisis and their refusal to protect Americans. Finally, we have a federal government working to end this crisis.”
The Texas Tactical Border Force was launched in 2023 as part of Abbott’s larger border security strategy. According to Abbott’s Office, under Operation Lone Star, the state has apprehended more than 530,800 undocumented immigrants, arrested more than 50,300 criminals, and seized 622 million lethal doses of fentanyl.
Texas officials said the additional troops and resources will work to enhance enforcement measures and support ongoing efforts to secure the border.
Texas has a partner in the White House we can work with to secure the border.To support that mission, I deployed the Texas Tactical Border Force to work side-by-side with U.S. Border Patrol agents.We finally have a federal government working with Texas to end this crisis. pic.twitter.com/86tuh6us6C
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) January 27, 2025
The announcement comes as U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials carried out what the federal government called enhanced targeted operations to enforce immigration law over the weekend all across the country, including Texas.
The actions follow the president’s efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and accelerate deportations. Shortly after his inauguration, Trump revoked a directive that had previously barred immigration arrests in “sensitive” locations, including churches and schools, as part of his broader immigration enforcement strategy.