U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro is leading a group of House Democrats to urge the U.S. Department of Justice to look into Gov. Abbott’s Operation Lone Star program. Abbott’s order to arrest migrants for minor charges, mostly trespassing, is “wreaking havoc on Texas’ judicial system” since it leaves them in jail for weeks or even months and in the end, they can’t even bring charges.
According to the Democrats, Abbott’s program does not align with the U.S. Constitution, therefore they’re asking the Justice Department to investigate the way they’re treating people.
“These operations have continued to militarize Texas’ border communities and interfered with the federal immigration system, likely violating the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution,” the Democrats’ letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas reads. “Even more egregiously, these programs have directly led to a violation of state laws and constitutional due process rights.”
According to the complaint, migrants don’t even get an appointed lawyer in time, and in many cases, they’re required to fill out documents they can’t even read, with some of them signing away their right to counsel.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Abbott claims he’s taking this unprecedented measure because the White House hasn’t been able to secure the border. In a recent interview with Fox News Abbott accused Presiden Biden of trying to “redesign the United States of America in a completely lawless way.”
“That leaves it to the states now to step up and do everything we can to hold onto the United States of America until Republicans can regain control of Congress and the presidency,” He added.
