Migrant encounters at the Texas-Mexico border have been on a decline for several months, yet Starr County, which sits along this border, has recently declared a disaster. This decision marks a shift for Starr County, which previously refrained from such declarations, but now follows suit to access additional state funding under Texas’ Operation Lone Star. The county’s move aligns with state lawmakers’ proposed allocation of $6.5 billion for border security over the upcoming two years and a persistent push from state leaders to collaborate with former President Donald Trump’s deportation initiatives.
Starr County Judge Eloy Vera explained that the declaration came to his attention from the district attorney, the sheriff, and the county attorney, warning of a significant potential loss in county revenue if the declaration was not signed. “It was brought to my attention by three departments — the DA, the sheriff and the county attorney — that the county, this year, if we did not sign, would lose anywhere between $5 to $8 million in county revenues,” Vera disclosed during a county commissioners’ meeting. “I’m not going to do anything that would hurt or jeopardize, in any fashion, the county so that’s the reason that I had a change of heart.”
In previous years, Starr County had elected not to declare an emergency because it was not utilizing resources to manage migrant arrivals. Similar to Starr, El Paso County had also been resistant to declare a disaster until pressures related to housing and aid for migrants became overwhelming and compelled them to act last year. In contrast, Starr County had managed without such expenses, as articulated by Vera, “We didn’t have the court fees, we didn’t have to house them at the jail, we didn’t feed them,” noting that migrants were processed in neighboring locations instead, avoiding the experience of a disaster locally.
However, Starr County was missing potential state funding opportunities. Starr County District Attorney Gocha Ramirez highlighted the prospective benefits of new grants in enhancing their ability to prosecute border-related offenses such as trespassing and drug smuggling, areas where they currently lack adequate staffing. “We have many, many cases so sometimes they do sit there for a while,” Ramirez noted.
Through Operation Lone Star, local agencies stand to receive up to $5 million to offset costs including additional personnel, equipment, supplies, contractual support, travel, and training commitment to the border security mission. Initiated by Governor Greg Abbott in 2021 in response to increased migrant crossings attributed to President Joe Biden’s immigration policies, the program saw Texas National Guard soldiers and Department of Public Safety troopers deployed to the border.
Starr County emerged as a focal point following the Texas General Land Office’s offer of a 1,400-acre ranch here as a potential site for building detention centers, thereby underscoring the state’s cooperation with federal deportation plans. The decision for Starr County to pursue Operation Lone Star funding grew in urgency following the conclusion of the Local Border Security Program, which originally supported initiatives under Governor Rick Perry’s established Operation Border Star beginning in 2007.
The termination of this financial aid for fiscal year 2026 has also motivated neighboring Hidalgo County to seek Operation Lone Star funds for the first time, revealing Sheriff J. E. “Eddie” Guerra’s advocacy for compensating their investigative division for overtime and enhancing special operations targeting narcotics and weapons. Last year, Hidalgo County sheriff’s office benefited from $233,000 through the now-eliminated Local Border Security Program, necessitating a pivot to new funding sources.
Sheriff Guerra acknowledged that while Hidalgo County has not previously applied for Operation Lone Star funds, some cities within the county, such as Mission and Donna, received funding historically. Despite this being their initial application year for the program, Hidalgo County has maintained a disaster declaration since August 2021 in response to migrant apprehensions, necessitating humanitarian aid for migrants released into the county, particularly in McAllen, where they have support access, including shelter and food, primarily through the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley-run respite center.
When COVID-19 impacted asylum seekers, the city, cooperating with the county, responded by establishing an emergency shelter at a 15-acre county park by the Rio Grande. However, Sheriff Guerra expressed concerns about charging migrants with criminal trespassing if they enter through private property, an approach under the state initiative to deter crossings at the border, though he anticipates low occurrence due to the current reduced migrant numbers. “If you look at our numbers, the way they are today, it’s next to nothing,” he noted.
