Tom Homan serves Thanksgiving meals to Texas troops amid border crisis

In November 2024, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Tom Homan, the newly appointed border czar, visited the U.S.-Mexico border to serve meals to troops as part of Operation Lone Star. This operation, initiated by Abbott in March 2021, was designed to address what he claimed was a lack of federal support from the Biden administration in managing immigration issues at the Texas border. During their visit, Homan and Abbott were specifically at locations near Eagle Pass and Edinburg, Texas, where National Guard soldiers and Department of Public Safety troopers have been deployed over Thanksgiving. While Abbott has branded Operation Lone Star a success, there have been reports of low morale among the troops engaged in the operation, along with concerns regarding humanitarian implications and escalating costs. The legal landscape surrounding the mission is further complicated by lawsuits from the Biden Department of Justice and the American Civil Liberties Union, claiming that Texas's actions interfere with the federal government’s authority over immigration. Previously, Tom Homan served as the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the Trump administration and is recognized for his role in the controversial 'zero tolerance' immigration policy leading to family separations. Upon Trump's election announcement and Homan’s appointment as the border czar, there were indications that the Trump administration would push for aggressive deportation policies, with plans already in motion before Trump's official inauguration on January 20, 2025. On a broader scale, this situation is indicative of ongoing tensions between state and federal governments regarding immigration control in the U.S. Abbott's statements in support of the Texas enforcement efforts highlight his position that the state is upholding laws that have been established by Congress. Meanwhile, current internal rates from Customs and Border Protection suggest a notable decline in illegal border crossings for the Biden administration, marking the lowest levels since summer 2020. These dynamics demonstrate the complexity of the immigration policies under differing administrations and the impacts of local enforcement actions on national immigration trends.