DALLAS (NewsNation) — Migrant encounters in California and Arizona are now outpacing Texas, prompting debate over the effectiveness of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s border enforcement initiative, Operation Lone Star.

Shift in illegal border crossing hot spots

Since 2019, Texas has recorded more migrant encounters monthly compared to other border sectors, The Texas Tribune reported. This is partly because Texas has the largest border with Mexico.

However, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data shows that during the first three months of this calendar year, other states recorded more migrant encounters than Texas.

Data highlights the Tucson and San Diego sectors as leading in encounters, while there has been a significant decrease in the Del Rio Sector among Texas’ five border sectors.

In December, there were more than 71,000 encounters in the Del Rio Sector, including in the city of Eagle Pass and at a Rio Grande buoy barrier. The state is also building a base camp in Eagle Pass for thousands of Texas National Guard troops.

Why have Texas encounters dropped?

Texas has allocated $11 billion to Operation Lone Star since it launched in 2021, The Texas Tribune reported.

Abbott’s office said the operation has led to the apprehension of more than 500,000 people illegally crossing the border and the busing of more than 100,000 migrants north to cities including New York and Chicago.

However, some argue those numbers don’t correlate directly to the operation’s effectiveness.

“Smugglers find better ways to get people across the border without them noticing,” said Guadalupe Correa-Cabrea, a policy and government professor at George Mason University. “That is a possibility, or less people are trying to make it to the United States because of many factors.”

Meanwhile, the Biden administration has met with Mexican officials to discuss mitigating the surge in illegal migration.

Operation Lone Star challenges

Operation Lone Star is facing federal challenges, with the government suing Texas over allegations of overstepping federal authority via the construction of the river buoy barrier and a controversial state law that would allow state authorities to arrest people suspected of illegally crossing the border.

Both legal battles are currently progressing through the appellate courts.

Immigration advocacy groups have criticized Operation Lone Star for what they claim could be racial profiling.