El Paso County Seeks State Grants to Mitigate Rising Costs from Operation Lone Star

On Monday, July 22nd, the El Paso County Commissioners Court unanimously voted to apply for the state’s Operation Lone Star (OLS) grant funding. This funding from the State of Texas aims to help offset the increased costs of jail operations and court administration that El Paso County has endured due to OLS-related activities.

In addition to the OLS grant, an application will be submitted to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) for funding to cover defense costs for cases related to OLS. Operation Lone Star is a joint operation involving the Texas National Guard and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), aimed at countering a rise in migrant activities, illegal drug trafficking, and human smuggling. As a result, El Paso has seen an increase in smuggling arrests by Texas DPS, costing the County more than $8 million this fiscal year alone.

The impact of these OLS arrests has burdened jail and court operations, creating significant costs. Additionally, the County’s revenue has reduced substantially, with $18.5 million less projected for FY25 compared to FY22 revenue numbers. This decrease is due to the County’s inability to provide jail beds to the federal government through an existing contract to house federal detainees. Recent numbers indicate the County is housing approximately 300 OLS detainees daily in local jails. By law, the County Sheriff must accept all inmates with state charges.

As part of the OLS and TIDC grant application process, the County Judge has issued the required Disaster Declaration. This declaration describes the financial and operational impacts OLS has had on County operations and is necessary for the County’s grant applications to receive OLS funding. The Declaration will be further discussed by the Commissioners Court at their next regular scheduled meeting on Monday, July 29, 2024.