El Paso County loses $63,000 a day due to Operation Lone Star

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — El Paso County is struggling with budget consolidation as it begins planning for next year.

Officials said the cost of Governor Greg Abbott's “Operation Lone Star” border initiative was too high for El Paso County.

Individuals arrested as part of Operation Lone Star are held in the El Paso County Jail, resulting in no revenue for the county.

The county makes money by housing federal prisoners in its jails, receiving reimbursement of $101 per day per bed.

Because these beds are currently occupied by state prisoners, the district cannot house federal prisoners.

The county said it had about 700 prison beds available several years ago that it could have used to house federal prisoners and generate revenue.

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The county is currently losing about $63,000 per day in lost revenue alone because 600 to 650 fewer jail beds are available due to Operation Lone Star arrests.

“This does not include the medical expenses, the remaining processing time, the time set by the court and the medical treatment. By the way, the governor is now asking the federal government to reimburse these costs. I wish they would compensate us first,” said county commissioner Sergio Coronado.

The district is looking for ways to offset these increased costs.

Among other things, it is proposed to reduce the budget for fiscal year 2025 compared to the 2024 budget in order to cope with the increased costs associated with Operation Lone Star.

The county is also looking for ways to move people through the prison system more quickly so beds become available more quickly.

According to the county, $18 million is expected to be spent from county reserves to balance the 2025 budget.

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