Texas taxpayers have footed a bill of over $124 million to transport more than 103,000 migrants out of the state as part of Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star border initiative.
The migrants have been bused or flown to six cities, including New York, Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.
The average one-way ticket funded by taxpayers for each migrant amounts to $1,243.18. The busing program has faced criticism for its high cost, with one of the main bus companies charging up to $3,000 a day for individual security guards on the buses.
The initiative has also put political pressure on the White House to address border security issues. The cost of hospital treatments and incarcerations for migrants in Texas was reported to be over $717 million and $150 million per year, respectively, before the recent surge at the border.
