A new jail booking facility for border-related crimes is now open in Jim Hogg County thanks to Governor Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star.
This is the second jail booking facility opened under the operation; the first was launched in Val Verde County in July 2021.
Operation Lone Star, or House Bill 9, was signed in September 2021. The bill provides an additional $1.8 billion in state funding for border security over the next two years.
"Securing the border includes arresting and prosecuting anyone committing border-related crimes in Texas," said Abbott in a release. "The State of Texas' work to secure the border is made stronger by our collaboration with local governments and law enforcement across the state, and I am grateful to our partners in Jim Hogg County for working with our state agencies to launch this new facility."
In June 2021, Abbott announced that Texas will arrest and jail individuals trespassing or committing other state crimes along the border. He has worked with several entities and border cities to establish alternative detention facilities to ensure enough jail capacity for those arrested for border-related criminal activities.
