Operation Lone Star

The vote on House Bill 7 came after midnight and just a day before the Senate’s deadline to advance legislation.

The additional language in House Bill 7 would also increase penalties for human smuggling and create a new state crime for unauthorized entry.

Border security is a priority for the state’s GOP leadership as Abbott and company continue to blast the Biden administration’s policies.

The announcement comes the same day Gov. Abbott wrote to the country’s governors, asking them to support his border security operation now that the pandemic-era health policy known as Title 42 has expired.

Critics argue the proposed Border Protection Unit would target minorities and supplant federal authority.

Against the backdrop of hundreds of Texas National Guard units boarding military airplanes at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Abbott announced the deployment of a new operations unit in anticipation of the border health policy known as Title 42 ending later this week. The pandemic-era public health order allows for the rapid expulsion of some migrants.

In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, the Texas Border Coalition said the Texas-Mexico border needs reinforcements ahead of the scheduled end of Title 42.

The legislation would form a powerful new state law enforcement unit on the border. The hearing where HB 20 was discussed lasted until 2 a.m. Thursday.

At least 40 migrants were killed and 25 were injured during the March 27 fire in the border city. Mexico's attorney general said Francisco Garduño and four other officials failed to ensure the safety of migrants at the facility.

Two separate proposals were considered in committee hearings this week, including one that would expand the powers of federal border agents who work in Texas.

Abbott included border security funding and increased penalties for migrant smugglers on his list of emergency items during Thursday’s State of the State address. He also ordered lawmakers to address the fentanyl crisis as he continued to rail against President Biden’s border policies.

The state’s police force is asking lawmakers to again fund the state-led effort known as Operation Lone Star to the tune of more than $1 billion.