President Trump, Gov. Abbott Serve Thanksgiving Meals to Texas Border Troops, State Police

EDINBURG, Texas — Former President Donald Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott served an early Thanksgiving meal to a host of law enforcement officers and Texas National Guard soldiers serving the border region as part of Abbott’s Operation Lone Star. The former president and Abbott are slated to deliver remarks to a crowd of Texas Rio Grande Valley officials and border residents later Sunday.

The former President’s visit to South Texas comes on the heels of a visit to Houston earlier in November for a campaign rally. Trump currently holds a commanding lead against his Republican primary opponents ahead of the state’s March 5 primary election. Trump’s visit comes as the Texas border with Mexico has seen unprecedented levels of migrant crossings in recent months.

Abbott has made an annual tradition out of serving of Thanksgiving meals to soldiers and law enforcement officers at several locations across the state’s U.S./Mexico border.  The troops are the latest deployment under Abbott’s Operation Lone Star. Since March 2021, the operation has augmented law enforcement patrols by Texas Department of Public Safety Highway troopers and Texas Army National Guard soldiers along its U.S./Mexico boundary. The multi-agency border security operations include additional soldiers and law enforcement personnel from other states as well.

“What you do is incredible, and you want it to be done right,” President Trump said, addressing the gathering.

The operation has resulted in more than 480,000 migrant arrests by state authorities since launching. The initiative includes enhanced criminal trespass prosecutions for migrants found by authorities on private property. According to the state, participating law enforcement agencies have made nearly 40,000 criminal arrests for multiple criminal violations at the border.

According to Abbott’s office, the increased law enforcement and military presence between ports of entry along the border have resulted in the seizure of more than 426 million lethal doses of fentanyl during the ongoing mission.

A controversial component of Abbott’s border strategy involves busing migrants to sanctuary cities across the country. Thus far, Abbott has bused more than 40,000 migrants released by Customs and Border Protection in Texas border cities to Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles.

Abbott’s has thus far bused more than 23,000 migrants to New York City alone causing consternation between New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the Texas Governor. As reported by Breitbart Texas, Adams asserts Abbott “primed the pump” for the arrival of thousands of migrants outside the busing program. According to Adams, New York City has spent more than $1.45 billion during the 2023 fiscal year and anticipates the migrant crisis will cost the city more than $12 billion by 2025.

National Border Patrol Council President Brandon Judd said that President Trump stayed in the hangar and shook the hands or took selfies with every trooper and Guardsman who wanted to greet him.

Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol.  Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.

Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday-morning talk show. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.