Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the awarding of death benefits to the families of four soldiers who died in the line of duty as part of Operation Lone Star, a security detail aimed at curbing criminal activity on the Texas-Mexico border. The payouts were made possible by newly enacted legislation, which added financial support for those who paid the ultimate price while defending the state under Governor Greg Abbott's border initiative.
These benefits, part of the Bishop Evans Act—named after a guardsman who tragically drowned trying to rescue two migrants in the Rio Grande—were highlighted in a report by KENS 5. The law dictates that eligible active-duty military members and national guardsmen deployed for Operation Lone Star will now receive a death benefit intended for a surviving spouse, child, or parent if, they died on active duty linked to Operation Lone Star.
In a statement regarding the solemn action, Paxton expressed, "Although nothing can replace a family’s loved one, our state seeks to honor the cherished memory and brave service of those who lost their lives in Operation Lone Star," attributing the information to the Texas Attorney General's official release. These payments are a component of the Crime Victim Compensation Program.
The decision comes at a time of ongoing debates over border security and immigration policy, with Paxton's office emphasizing that the aim of Operation Lone Star is to tackle the "dangerous flow of illegal activity enabled by the Biden Administration’s reckless immigration policies." The layering of state policy over national migration discourse articulates Texas' strategy to safeguard its communities while setting in stone its commitment to those who serve, according to the announcement.
