Stop Separating Families,
Start Investing in:
Redirect $14+ Billion Wasted On Operation Lone Star.
Texans are different
As the state with the second-largest immigrant population, most of us have friends, coworkers, or family who chose to make Texas their home.
These are hardworking immigrant Texans – people who help care for our children and aging parents, harvest our food, build our homes, and strengthen our communities and economy as essential workers and small business owners.
We don’t always agree on politics. But one thing we do agree on is this: We’re tired of seeing our taxpayer dollars wasted on Operation Lone Star, a program that has caused fear and chaos.
We work hard, help our neighbors, and treat people with respect –no matter where they come from.
Operation Lone Star is costing Texas taxpayers $14+ billion since 2021, and continues to drain $2.5 million taxpayer dollars every week.
Texas Tax Dollars Should Work for ALL Texans – Not Just Border Politics
For years, Governor Abbott and President Trump have talked tough about a broken immigration system.
They’re pouring $14+ billion of our taxpayer dollars into Operation Lone Star, claiming it’s about safety.
But what we’ve really seen are raids on workplaces, families torn apart, and communities thrown into chaos.
Instead of pouring money into divisive and ineffective programs, let’s invest in:
Great public schools
Affordable housing
Access to health care
Better jobs
Clean water
What is Operation Lone Star?
Since Operation Lone Star began:
$14+ billion spent by Taxpayers, with $2.5 million added every week
106 people killed and 301 injured in vehicle pursuits by Texas state troopers and local law enforcement
15,000+ people have been prosecuted for bogus (such as "trespassing" and "criminal mischief") charges
10,000+ Texas law enforcement officials deployed, including the National Guard, state troopers, and local sheriffs
62 counties have been placed under a "disaster declaration"
3 state prisons have been repurposed to incarcerate migrant communities: Dolph Briscoe Unit, Lopez Unit, and Segovia Unit
Operation Lone Star is a Texas border security initiative launched in March 2021 that has cost taxpayers over $14+ billion while resulting in harmful enforcement actions and civil rights violations.
Despite massive spending, independent evaluations have found no evidence that Operation Lone Star has improved border security or reduced crime rates in Texas.
What Does $14+ Billion buy Texas?
While Governor Abbott spends billions so that families seeking safety are met with barbed wire and guns in their faces, communities at the border struggle to make ends meet.
In Texas, 30,000 border residents lack access to reliable drinking water. Congestion at border communities and an environment of fear mean that shoppers and tourists no longer come and spend money in Texas.
Operation Lone Star has cost Texas taxpayers $14+ billion since 2021.
These funds could alternatively support:
Healthcare for 325,000 children
Housing for 65,000 families
Increased pay for Texas teachers
Families separated and essential workers deported on the taxpayer dime
If President Trump and Governor Abbott have their way, more than 135,000 Texans who have lived in the U.S. since they were children will face deportation.
People who came here as children and can legally be here under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program could be sent to countries where they don't speak the language or don't know anyone.
This is cruel, and Texas communities would suffer.
We would lose so many of our neighbors, friends, and over 30,600 essential workers.
This would hurt families, communities, and our state economy.
Immigrant Workers at risk of deportation:
Healthcare workers (4,300+ at risk of deportation)
Teachers (2,800+ educating Texas children)
Small business owners creating jobs for Texans
Essential workers in agriculture, construction, and hospitality
What would a better border and a safer Texas look like?
A Texas that recognizes the hard work and contributions of immigrants by providing immigration solutions that:
✅ Streamline legal immigration processes
✅ Expand work visa programs to fill critical Texas job shortages
✅ Create achievable paths to citizenship for community members that call Texas their home
The result?
Safer communities, stronger families & $14+ billion reinvested in Texans.
Operation Lone Star Impact Map
This interactive map shows where Operation Lone Star and other harmful anti-immigrant policies are active across Texas.
Each highlighted county represents areas where:
Local law enforcement has been deputized for immigration enforcement
Checkpoints and increased surveillance are in effect
"Disaster declarations" have redirected resources
Residents face increased risk of profiling or detention
Find your county to see how Operation Lone Star affects your community.
Resources & Research on Operation Lone Star
-
Community reporting is one way we can track local immigration enforcement activity in Texas. Help us build a complete picture of Operation Lone Star's impact by sharing your experience.
[VIEW CURRENT REPORTS MAP]
This reporting tool helps document incidents, mistreatment, or abuse by law enforcement agencies in Texas. If you believe you were treated differently because of factors such as race, ethnicity, national origin, language, or suspected immigration status, your report helps us track these patterns and advocate for change.
-
Human Rights Watch Report "US: Texas Vehicle Pursuits Kill At Least 106, Injure 301"
ILRC Policy Brief "The Untenable Costs of Operation Lone Star"
ILRC Policy Brief "Criminalizing Immigration: The Influence of SB 4, Texas's Regressive State Deportation Law"
ILRC Police Brief “Driver Prosecutions, Immigrants and Smuggling in Texas”
-
Take Action: Help End Operation Lone Star
This work belongs to all of us.
Whether you came to Texas many years ago or were born here, you're part of a powerful community rooted in love, resilience, and collective care.
Our stories, struggles, and dreams are interconnected, and when we show up for one another we build something bigger than ourselves.
Share this information with your network
About this campaign
All In For Texas is a campaign by Texans United for Justice (TUFJ), created in collaboration with Neta Collab (website and visual storytelling), Wonder (strategic messaging research), Resource Media (paid ads), Social Currant (creator partnerships), and supported by the Abundant Futures Fund.
This campaign would not have been possible without the generous support of the Abundant Futures Fund, which envisions a future where all of Texas's diverse communities can be invested in and thrive. Their commitment to showing up for one another made this vision a reality.
Together, we're building safer communities, stronger families, and a Texas that works for ALL Texans. campaign
About Our Coalition
The Texans United for Justice (TUFJ) was formed in response to Governor Abbott’s unconstitutional and inhumane Operation Lone Star (OLS). Since 2021, our mission has been to resist anti-immigrant laws and policies in Texas, as well as the criminalization and militarization infrastructure that threaten the rights and freedoms of all Texans. The coalition builds both statewide and regional power in the key areas most impacted by these harmful and costly policies so that all of Texas’s diverse communities can be invested in and thrive.
The coalition is composed of a core group of 15 local, state, and national organizations, including grassroots groups that serve border communities most impacted by OLS in El Paso, Eagle Pass, Laredo, and the Rio Grande Valley.
