This issue must be addressed now we cannot inflict further financial instability on our service members and their families, Dominguez said in a letter sent to Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, the Texas National Guards top leader, on Thursday. (The fact that the increase has been similar in other states suggests that its not due solely to more robust enforcement. Ive had one soldier who went 42 days without pay. IN BOLD POLITICAL STATEMENT, Greg Abbotts legislative wins and what the future may hold for Texans, Current list of U.S. Texas Representatives. there have been 129,000 recorded crossings into Texas this past March, nearly 11,000 more than March of last year when Operation Lone Star began. Operation Lone Star has been riddled in controversy since its inception, often being cited as expensive political posturing. Congress needs to step in and require DHS to turn people away if the department cant abide by our laws and certify that all aliens claiming asylum are being detained for the adjudication of their claims.. Greg Abbotts border security push, Operation Lone Star, would receive $4.6 billion to keep National Guard troops and state police at the Texas-Mexico Finance personnel recently added the withholding issue to the briefings they give troops when they depart the mission, which includes average projected income tax estimates by annual taxable income. Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to over 340,000 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 23,000 criminal arrests, with more than 21,000 felony charges reported. A former filmmaker, University of North Texas graduate, and one-time assistant language teacher, Robert Montoya misses Japan and the 1980s. Internal communications in the Texas comptrollers office suggest that elected officials and state employees were scrambling to address the issue of soldiers not being paid on time. Generally, troops who make less money and have more dependents claimed on their taxes will owe less. But for those who went home before knowing of the problem, theres little left to do but brace for impact. Yes. If an invasion declaration were to occur one could expect even more border initiatives like Operation Lone Star. Three payrolls does not necessarily mean three pay periods. Donate to join or renew today. DPS troopers and Texas National Guard troops have been deployed to 48 Texas counties covered by a state disaster declaration. Abbott issued disaster declarations for nearly 50 border counties in May of that year, a move widely criticized as a usurpation of power that should properly belong to the legislature or federal government. Officials said they became aware of the issue in July 2022. National Guard soldiers stood guard near the U.S. and Mexico border in Del Rio on July 23, 2021. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education , certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession. by the Texas Tribune, The Marshall Project and Propublica, not much. The article linked four suicides to Operation Lone Star and described widespread pay issues for soldiers deployed on the mission. Texas National Guard troops deployed to the border by Gov. Abbott earlier directed DPS troopers to make additional truck inspections in light of the Biden admins announcement to end title 42. On August 24, Abbott announced he was surging TNG forces to the border, but again, he provided no specific numbers. [Eighty-two] payments does not necessarily mean 82 soldiers. Data released by US Customs and Border Patrol in November of last year show a huge increase in attempted border crossings, and with the state legislature convening this week for its 88th session, you can bet that Operation Lone Star will be top of mind. Following news reports that President Joe Biden plans to visit the southern border for the first time and amid the escalating border crisis, Governor Abbott joined Fox News to highlight the insincerity and inadequacy of the President's recent border announcement. However, it is clear that the state is willing to continue to throw billions of dollars into border crackdowns with little regard to the actual consequences. Abbotts office did not respond to a request for comment. Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in March 2021 in response to a rise in illegal immigration that would eventually reach historic levels along the Texas-Mexico border. About a thousand DPS personnel nearly a quarter of the departments staff are involved in the operation. We have so many people coming across our borderjust over 16,000 over the holiday weekend, with 14,000 who were released. According to the joint investigation by the Texas Tribune, The Marshall Project and Propublica, not much. "Imagine if instead Americans had seen a U.S. President furious about being kept away from the border due to Texas forces actively maintaining operational control over the entire boundary with Mexico. Governor Abbott emphasized how the President is not only not enforcing existing immigration laws, but he's openly violating existing federal law, which is enticing more people to enter our country illegally. The tax blunder is the latest strike against a state bureaucracy that has been strained under the weight and haste of Abbotts border mission. On October 22, Coleman told staff in an email that TMD also contacted the Governors office and said that there was something about the current process taking a while for personnel to get their first check and the General was worried about what personnel might start saying publicly., Since a letter was sent to the Comptroller and the Governors office reached out to us, Exec is interested in knowing about this activity., On October 25, Alice Alvarado, manager of the comptrollers Statewide Fiscal Systems Department, emailed Coleman that First Lt. Hohmann does not have a current payment processed, and the last payment processed for him was on March 5, 2021., He is not included on any of the payrolls that failed Friday night due to the Outbound being run twice, Alvarado responded, adding that she had asked Danette McWilliams (who was formerly with TMD but had been transferred to the comptroller) to look into the situation and inform TMD of the 280 [soldiers] in total missing their payments. Alvarado commented, There appears to be an internal disconnect at TMD.. January 6, 2023 | Austin, Texas Later that month, Abbott directed 1,000 DPS personnel and 400 more Texas National Guard members to the border in response to the sudden arrival of 16,000 migrants in Del Rio. State Rep. Alex Dominguez, D-Brownsville, who has been critical of the treatment of soldiers on the mission, is calling on the Texas Military Department to provide immediate clarification and resolve the issue before January. Earlier in 2022, about 30 soldiers were dispatched to guard private ranches that already have security as part of Operation Lone Star, which raised questions about how and why the Texas National Guard is being used at the border. Gov. The Invasion Equation Clarence Henderson , RealClear Wire January 9, 2023 12:01 pm The Army National Guard vs. Only about 100 pounds have been seized at or near the border. A text message: John Kenny TMD officials did not respond to a request for comment on the interaction. WebThe group Texans for Abbott this week tweeted the results of Operation Lone Star over the past two years as reported by the governors office. As well as over 150 prison staff whose facility has been emptied of inmates for use holding detained migrants. Despite the heightened rhetoric of incipient invasion, the initiative began on a fairly small scale, involving only 500 state National Guard troops. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. December 8, 2021. Shortly after President Joe Bidens inauguration, he had a full-blown border crisis on his hands. A junior soldier who recently returned home from the Laredo area revealed that the error will cost him $1,300. Davis studied history at Vanderbilt University and UNC-Chapel Hill, writing a master's thesis about how the Cold War-era Defense Department influenced Hollywood's WWII movies. Guardsmen have also complained about financial strains due to the unprecedented length of the deployment, which has prevented some members from being able to keep their civilian jobs. Were now not going to use Texas, said Mexican Economy Minister Tatiana Clouthier at a conference on April 28 in Mexico City. Troops also asked what kind of support the department would provide them in navigating their taxes because of the mistake. How successful has it been in preventing or mitigating illegal activity at the border? Significant Challenges for the Texas state National Guard. Texas National Guard soldiers recently assisted law enforcement with the detection and communication needed to apprehend a group of illegal trespassers near Laredo. Abbotts border crackdown? We cant leave all the eggs in one basket and be hostages to someone who wants to use trade as a political tool. Mexico is Texass No. WATCH: Human Smugglers Lead DPS Troopers On 120 MPH Vehicle Pursuit. and Texas Governor Greg Abbott influenced his state legislature to provide $3 billion to finance the Operation Lone Star mission. The driver lost control of the car and hit a light pole at a Border Patrol checkpoint. Hastily-deployed troops have complained of poor living conditions, unsustainable workloads, and unclear assignments. Significant Challenges for the Texas state Heres what you need to know about the initiative. But some service members reached by the Tribune and Army Times said they had not been made aware of the problem. Operation Lone Star is on track to be a yearly investment of about $2 billion. It is not clear whether or not Gov. Press Release. This issue must be addressed now we cannot inflict further financial instability on our service members and their families, Dominguez said in a letter sent to Maj. Gen. Thomas Suelzer, the Texas National Guards top leader, on Thursday. Multiple payrolls can be processed for each calendar., Another source within TMD expressed to Texas Scorecard their frustration when servicemen arent paid on time. This does not mean the declaration comes without risks. The Texas Military Department has new full-time positions available for the Operation Lone Star border support mission. Abbot began his border initiative, Operation Lone Star (OLS), in March of last year; since then the operation has grown to be the most expensive Communications reveal complications arose in paying Texas National Guard servicemen during Gov. If so, when and how? Texas Scorecard also asked for the actual number of unpaid guardsmen, and the duration of time they have gone unpaid. Hunter Schuler, who was a leading voice among the troops who tried to unionize in the spring, said he will have to pay around $2,500 to the IRS. "It's about time Joe Biden went down to the border and to see the chaos he himself created," said Governor Abbott. A significant portion of the redirected funds, about $1 billion in total, was taken from. In response to Texass tampering with international trade the Mexican government declared that it will shift the construction of its long planned railway trade connection, worth billions of dollars, out of Texas and into New Mexico according to the. This is a far cry from the governors initial claim that the DPS would be arresting everybody coming across the border, a claim which wasnt really possible even at the time due to federal immigration law. If we run into significant problems, Ill [sic] let you know., On October 22, Hegar emailed Coleman again. . Communications reveal complications arose in paying Texas National Guard servicemen during Gov. 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. Many of those called up after November came to the mission involuntarily. Abbotts Operation Lone Star. Austin Texas 78711 Specialized Task Force Arrests Two Guides Crossing Six Illegal Immigrants. Davis Winkie is a senior reporter covering the Army, specializing in accountability reporting, personnel issues and military justice. , the initiative involves border wall construction, the deployment of 10,000 National Guard troops under the pretense of a disaster declaration, and the redirection of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) state troopers and state judicial personnel towards the mass arrests of migrants for trespassing. He was finally paid on October 11, but theyre saying that this next round of pay could be not until after November, the source said. The new vernacular of illegal immigration is an indictment of the U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys (Department of Homeland On November 23, Texas Scorecard asked Lyons the following questions: Had all TNG pay issues been resolved? The last payment processed for him was on March 5, 2021, Coleman wrote. However, the Texas Tribunes investigation has shown that the statistics used by Texas officials have been based on changing and often unclear metrics. Rodriguez added that he supports soldiers addressing their pay issues outside the chain of command if their typical administrative avenues arent helpful. Human smugglers led DPS troopers on a high-speed vehicle pursuit, reaching upward of 120 miles per hour in Kinney County late last month. WebGC section 19775 provides 30 calendar days of pay to State employees who receive active military duty orders for more than six months. Texas Impact Legislative Priorities 2023-2024, First Come, Last Served Empowering Indigenous Communities to Engage in Climate Change Dialogue. in in border security, having increased state spending from $110 million in 2007 to $3 billion as of last year. WebCalifornia Air National Guard. WebCalifornia Air National Guard. Sign up for The Brief, its daily newsletter. In the email, officials explained that the payroll system was set up to pay service members twice a month, rather than once a month, to mirror federal pay periods. As covered in. In March, it will have been two full years since Governor Greg Abbott launched Operation LoneStar in Texas, a massive border security initiative aimed at curbing illegal immigration along the Texas-Mexico Border. As of the end of the last fiscal year, Operation LoneStar in Texas has resulted in around 300,000 apprehensions and 20,000 arrests. Another service member who learned of the issue a few days before leaving the mission in September said troops had raised concerns about the withholding of taxes on their paychecks since last winter, when the mission was experiencing other pay problems. And what does the future hold for Operation Lone Star? At the southwest border, Customs and Border Protection saw a 278% increase in migrant encounters from fiscal year 2020 to fiscal year 2021 and so far, that count has been higher in every month in the 2022 fiscal year compared to 2021. Many of those called up after November came to the mission involuntarily. The human resources investment has been equally large. However, in a leaked morale survey from January 2022, some said theyre not doing much of anything. Spc. Sign up for The Brief, its daily newsletter. TMD attempted to process a payroll that erred off both Thursday and Friday, and he was not included on either of the payrolls. When tickets go on sale in May, Tribune members will save big. Box 12428 Gov. TMD has two SAD (State Active Duty) pay calendars set up per month, 1st-15th and 16th-30th(31st). In response, Governor Abbott launched Operation LoneStar in Texas on March 6th of 2021. Greg Abbotts border security push, Operation Lone Star, would receive $4.6 billion to keep National Guard troops and state police at the Texas-Mexico border in 2024-2025. Im not sure where they are coming up with 280 that did not get paid. The department did not answer specific questions from The Texas Tribune and Army Times about the overall cost of the error to Operation Lone Star personnel. One of the states former adjutants general, retired Maj. Gen. Charles Rodriguez, declined to comment on the specifics of the tax issue because he did not have firsthand knowledge, but said in general, commanders should move quickly to fix administrative problems and notify soldiers quickly when they arise. But, Abbott was able to give himself sweeping powers to spend money and even suspend local laws to respond to the self-declared emergency. Win Burkett about the tax issue during a question-and-answer session of a briefing at Camp Swift near Austin in September, according to the service member. From what I see, theyre trying to make things right, the source said. Soldiers are reminded to update their information using the legacy systems to keep their payroll and personnel Contrary to what the federal government is doing, we are trying to make an impact by trying to stop what is taking place. But for those who went home before knowing of the problem, theres little left to do but brace for impact. A significant portion of the redirected funds, about $1 billion in total, was taken from federal coronavirus relief funds. Given the investment that the state and Governor Abbott have made in Operation Lone Star, its fair to ask what the returns have been to date. WebEven so, the rapid deployment and limited preparation time have led to significant challenges for the state National Guard. He moved quickly to take full advantage of these powers. Hunter Schuler, who was a leading voice among the troops who tried to unionize in the spring, said he will have to pay around $2,500 to the IRS. Texass weak governor system of government ordinarily extends very little executive authority to the governor. The results of which was the discovery of a few loose brakes, some broken headlights and an estimated loss of $4.2 billion to Texas in economic damages according to Waco-based researcher Perryman Group. The Invading Cartel Armies Rape trees, river floaters, skeletal remains, and fentanyl candy. During the fiscal year that ended in September 2021, the number of enforcement actions by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which includes detentions and arrests of migrants, reached more than 1.9 million, a 202% increase from the previous fiscal year. With the U.S. Supreme Court expected to hear arguments on Title 42 in February, Lt. Olivarez tells Fox News the federal government is under increased pressure to come up with a policy to replace it. Texas Scorecard received the following records from the comptroller on November 16. We dont have any additional information outside of the emails weve provided you, Lyons replied seven days later. TMD would have to provide that level of detail, Lyons replied. Abbott and other state officials were able to exploit gaps in the federal relief package by backfilling public health and safety agencies and then redirecting those funds to the governors office. The Texas Air National Guard provided four C-130J Hercules aircraft to expedite movement of personnel and vehicles to the far western region, with tactical troop movements also Pay has been one of the biggest issues: since the start of the operation. The service member said he was disappointed that there has been no investigation into the issue or a move to hold officials accountable. Just wow.. Some soldiers lost civilian jobs due to their sudden and indefinite deployment, only to wait weeks or months for paychecks. The National Guard members are tasked with aiding arrests for border-related crimes, including drug smuggling and human trafficking. Operation Lone Star is costing taxpayers $2.5 million every week, according to an analysis by The Texas Tribune, ProPublica and The Marshall Project published in March 2022. (512) 463-2000, Office of the Texas Governor | Greg Abbott, Operation Lone Star Continues Unprecedented Border Mission Into 2023. Estimating what each member owes is complicated due to the different tax rates for different portions of their pay, which itself varies based on rank, experience, marital status and what kind of duty the Guard member is performing. Abbot began his border initiative, Operation Lone Star (OLS), in March of last year; since then the operation has grown to be the. 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