Governor Greg Abbott took $30 million from beleaguered juvenile justice department to fund Operation Lone Star
Detainees are moved from location to location within the Travis County Juvenile Detention Center in Austin, Texas. Photo by Jennifer Whitney for the Texas Tribune.
“The most grotesque example of political theater ever….Kids are being sexually abused under his watch.” ~ Former DOJ attorney Julie Abbate
Overcrowded, underfunded, and understaffed, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department has been under investigation for physical and sexual abuse of children by staff and fellow juveniles. Yet, Governor Abbott diverted over $30 million dollars from the cash-strapped agency to pay for his expensive and ineffective Operation Lone Star. Read about it here.
Abbott has also diverted federal funds from the Cares Act––originally meant to lessen the financial burden on Texans who lost jobs, homes, and income during the pandemic––to pay for the deployment of National Guard troops to arrest and incarcerate immigrants on minor trespassing charges. Read about it here.
Take Five: Send a short note to Governor Abbott to let him know what you think about his practice of diverting needed funds away from essential services and pandemic relief in order to fund Operation Lone Star. Email him here. (Then help us count your action by emailing us here with “I emailed Abbott” in the subject line.)
Take Five (and then some): The most powerful advocacy action you can take is to VOTE for legislators who will enact COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM with just and humane policies. For voter registration and non-partisan information on candidates and issues, visit www.vote411.org.
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