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<p>In this paper, we draw on Michel Foucault’s insights on biopower to provide a theoretical analysis of Operation Lone Star (OLS), a Texas border initiative launched by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in 2021&#xa0;to deter unauthorized immigration.&#xa0;With a $4 billion budget, OLS expands the powers of the&#xa0; Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Texas National Guard (TNG) to arrest and apprehend migrants, collaborating with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) for detentions and US Border Patrol (USBP) for expulsions. We conceptualize this framework as racial biopower, a mechanism that racializes, excludes, and expels migrants with impunity. This paper explores two key questions: What regulative powers does OLS impose on migrants seeking refuge in the US? And how do these powers affect the lives of migrants?&#xa0;Drawing on government documents, news reports, and official records, we argue that OLS&#xa0;exemplifies modern sovereign power, embedding racial hierarchies within biopolitical control.&#xa0;</p>

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Racial biopower, modern sovereignty, and security: Operation Lone Star on the Texas-Mexico border

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年6月4日

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  • Jennifer G. Correa,
  • James M. Thomas

摘要

In this paper, we draw on Michel Foucault’s insights on biopower to provide a theoretical analysis of Operation Lone Star (OLS), a Texas border initiative launched by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in 2021 to deter unauthorized immigration. With a $4 billion budget, OLS expands the powers of the  Department of Public Safety (DPS) and Texas National Guard (TNG) to arrest and apprehend migrants, collaborating with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) for detentions and US Border Patrol (USBP) for expulsions. We conceptualize this framework as racial biopower, a mechanism that racializes, excludes, and expels migrants with impunity. This paper explores two key questions: What regulative powers does OLS impose on migrants seeking refuge in the US? And how do these powers affect the lives of migrants? Drawing on government documents, news reports, and official records, we argue that OLS exemplifies modern sovereign power, embedding racial hierarchies within biopolitical control.