AUSTIN, Texas — Texas lawmakers are prepared to spend billions to continue funding Operation Lone Star despite the dramatic drop in unlawful border crossings.
The Texas Senate recently passed its version of the $336 billion, two-year budget, which would allocate $6.5 billion to the ongoing border operation.
Under the proposed state budget, the cost of Operation Lone Star would increase to almost $18 billion by September 2027.
The funding comes despite data obtained by ABC News from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection showing that the number of those apprehended at the border dropped in January.
According to the data, there were 61,465 apprehensions along the southwest border in January, down from 96,048 in December 2024. Those numbers dropped even more after President Donald Trump took office again on Jan. 20.
Before Trump’s inauguration, there were more than 2,000 apprehensions every day. That fell to a daily average of 786 apprehensions. Between Jan. 21 and Jan. 31, the number of apprehensions dropped 85% from the same period in 2024. In that same period, migrants apprehended at ports of entry dropped by 93%.
Data from the federal law enforcement agency also showed that increased patrolling has had a dramatic impact on illegal border crossings. According to the agency, the number of monthly border apprehensions fell below 100,000 for the first time in years in November 2024.
A spokesperson with Gov. Greg Abbott’s office told the Austin America-Statesman that the investment by Texas into Operation Lone Star has paid off and that illegal crossings in Texas have dropped by more than 85%.