North Texas Senator expects Operation Lone Star to be fully funded by May

Monica StanlyFebruary 19, 2023

Senator Kelly Hancock said spending has risen as government officials try to find ways to resolve the situation at the border.

FORT WORTH, Texas. In his recently released 2024-2025 Budget Proposal, Gov. Greg Abbott is asking lawmakers to continue to fully fund his border operation, known as Operation Lone Star.

This security mission has already cost taxpayers billions of dollars.

And a senior state military leader, the head of the Texas War Department, recently told members of the Texas Senate Finance Committee that he would need another $1.8 billion to keep Operation Lone Star going through the next two-year budget cycle.

Maj. Gen. Thomas Sulzer also told lawmakers that maintaining troops along the border through the end of August would cost just under $460 million.

Senator Kelly Hancock, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, said the state essentially placed $4 billion worth of assets along the border right away.

Meanwhile, the Republican state senator, whose county covers most of Fort Worth and part of Tarrant County, says more and more people are trying to cross the border.

“As the numbers continue to rise, we are constantly looking for new ways to address this issue. So, we increased the construction of the border wall, which requires more money and technology. And we’ve rolled out more projects,” Senator Hancock said in an interview with Inside Texas Politics. “As these numbers have increased as this migration has shifted further north, additional funds have been requested and so we have had to make some adjustments.”

Senator Hancock said he expects Operation Lone Star to be included in this year’s budget and the entire operation to be fully funded by May.