Texas has seen a sharp decrease this year in the number of encounters between law enforcement and suspected illegal migrants, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Based on data through fiscal year March 2024 compared to March 2023, five regions in the Lone Star State posted double district declines.
El Paso saw a 24.1% decline, Big Bend saw numbers drop 63.7%, Del Rio declined 52.8%, Laredo saw a drop of 42.8%, and Rio Grande Valley declined 49.5%.
Encounters between migrants and law enforcement increased in California and Arizona, with San Diego seeing a 45% increase and Tucson seeing a 23% increase.
Overall, the El Paso region had 30,420 law enforcement-migrant encounters through March, while the Big Bend region had 1,200 encounters this year. Del Rio had 23,904 encounters, Laredo recorded 5,210 and Rio Grande Valley had 17,956.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been aggressive about combating illegal immigration, from busing thousands of migrants to sanctuary cities and ordering the installation of 100 miles of razor wire along the Rio Grande.
"We are having a profound impact in stopping the flow of illegal immigration into the state of Texas," Abbott told The Texas Tribune.
Abbott's spokesman Andrew Mahaleris said in a statement that because Texas' border is secure, migrants are moving west to cross into other states.
Mahaleris said Texas has allocated more than $11 billion of taxpayer money for Operation Lone Star, the Tribune reported. That money has paid for the transporting of more than 100,000 migrants to blue cities such as New York and Chicago and placing 70,000 rolls of concertina wire along the border.
The funding also includes construction of a military base that reportedly could cost more than $400 million, according to the outlet.
"Texas National Guard soldiers continue to reinforce border barriers in El Paso to deter and repel illegal crossings," Abbott posted on X. "Texas will exercise our sovereign authority to protect our southern border and our nation because President Biden refuses to enforce federal immigration laws."
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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