Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin visited Texas on Thursday to discuss results of Lone Star Mission, a 10-day federal immigration enforcement operation. The operation ran from Oct. 19 through Oct. 29. It is separate from Gov. Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star, the state's border security effort that began in 2021.
Mullin said federal immigration authorities arrested 4,170 people during the operation. He said about 60% of those arrested had criminal histories and described the other 40% as "collateral" arrests. DHS officials did not provide a breakdown of those criminal histories or say how many had been convicted of violent crimes.
During the press conference, Mullin criticized so-called sanctuary jurisdictions, where local policies can limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. He also compared President Donald Trump's immigration policies with those of former President Joe Biden and blamed Biden-era policies for some crime and public safety problems. He did not provide evidence for those claims during the event.
Mullin's visit came as Trump and other administration officials made several trips to Texas before Election Day. Recent polls have shown close races for several statewide offices, including the U.S. Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico.