Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard are continuing to work together to secure the border, stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas, and prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal behavior between ports of entry.
Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to more than 302,600 migrant apprehensions and more than 19,700 criminal arrests, with more than 17,200 felony charges reported. In the fight against fentanyl, DPS has seized over 340.5 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission.
Texas has also bused over 7,900 migrants to our nation’s capital since April and over 2,200 migrants to New York City since August 5. Since last Wednesday, more than 300 migrants from Texas have arrived in Chicago. The busing mission is providing much-needed relief to our overwhelmed border communities.
Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps left by the Biden Administration’s refusal to secure the border. Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Biden’s open border policies.
Colin, Temple Colleges Awarded Skills Development Fund Grants
Governor Greg Abbott announced Collin County Community College District (Collin College) and Temple College have been awarded Skills Development Fund grants from the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to support customized career training in highly skilled industries. The $927,764 award to Collin College will benefit workers by training 580 newly hired and currently employed Texans in high-demand manufacturing occupations. The $408,584 award to Temple College will help provide customized training to 170 new and current workers in healthcare industry-related topics, with a focus on patient care technician services training.
“Texas continues creating the best educational opportunities and training to support business growth across the state,” said Governor Abbott. “In partnership with the Texas Workforce Commission, we are providing critical resources for individuals entering healthcare professions, manufacturing, and more, ensuring Texans have the knowledge and skills needed to excel in their career and create a brighter future for themselves and their families.”
“We congratulate Temple and Collin College on receiving grants from TWC’s Skills Development Grant program,” said TWC Chairman Bryan Daniel. “These grants will help provide much needed technical training for highly skilled positions in the healthcare industry across the state, help meet the needs of our growing manufacturing industry, and narrow the middle-skills gap in Texas.”
Governor Presents 2022 Star Of Texas Awards
Governor Greg Abbott recognized peace officers, fire fighters, and first responders who demonstrated heroism and sacrifice in service to their communities and to the Lone Star State at the 2022 Star of Texas Awards Ceremony in Austin. The Governor was joined by First Lady Cecilia Abbott in presenting the awards to Star of Texas recipients.
“The remarkable men and women receiving the Star of Texas Awards today represent the very best of Texas, and this award is a token of our gratitude for their immense service to the Lone Star State,” said Governor Abbott. “It is an honor to recognize the 36 individuals today in this room who have sacrificed so much and acted selflessly for others. I want to thank them on behalf of the entire State of Texas for the risks they have taken and continue to take to protect Texans across our state every single day. Our law enforcement officers, first responders, and their families will always have support from their Governor and the State of Texas.”
The Star of Texas Awards were created in 2003 by House Bill 1937 to honor and commemorate individuals who made profound commitments while performing their duties as peace officers, firefighters, and emergency medical first responders. HB 1937 also designated September 11th of every year as Texas First Responders Day. Today’s ceremony honored and recognized 36 Texans for their remarkable courage and tremendous sacrifice in the line of duty, including some who gave their lives.
