Gov. Abbott orders TDCJ to clear out prisoners at state prison to house migrants with low-level offenses

TEXAS – Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to move prisoners from the Briscoe Unit in Dilley to make room for migrants crossing the border unlawfully and who have committed a state or federal crime.

About 1,000 inmates at Briscoe will be spread to different units throughout TDCJ. It will allow the unit to serve as a central holding facility for non-TDCJ detainees who have been arrested and charged with a state offense. The agency said it currently has the available bed capacity to assist in Operation Lone Star, which was launched in March by the governor to combat the smuggling of people and drugs into Texas.

This comes a day after Abbott announced $250 million would be pulled from the department’s budget to fund the Texas border wall. The agency said the money will come from its 2023 fiscal year budget.