SAN ANTONIO — A state prison in Frio County is reshuffling its inmate population to other facilities throughout Texas so it can serve as a "central holding facility" for those caught in the U.S. via illegal entry.
Officials with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said that process began Wednesday, adding it will free up space at the Dolph Briscoe Unit near Dilley for individuals arrested and charged as part of Operation Lone Star. Governor Greg Abbott's ongoing initiative, initially announced in May alongside the Department of Public Safety, aims to combat the smuggling of people and drugs in Texas.
It's unclear, however, exactly how many current inmates in Dilley are being moved.
Officials say Texas DPS, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and the Texas Division of Emergency Management will assist in the "safe and secure detention" of asylum-seekers who illegally crossed the border and have been charged with an state offense.