THREAD: Defense attorneys say Gov. Greg Abbott’s border operation — Operation Lone Star — has allowed thousands of migrants to bypass two of former president Donald Trump’s signature immigration policies: Title 42 and the “Remain in Mexico” program. houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas… 
2/ When Abbott deployed thousands of Texas National Guard troops and state police to arrest migrants along the border, he pitched it as a way to deter them from crossing into the country illegally, out of fear they could be jailed for months. houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas…
3/ Since ordering state authorities to jail migrants on trespassing charges last July, Abbott has repeatedly slammed President Joe Biden for diverging from Trump’s immigration policies. But now, his operation is also straying from those policies. houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas…
4/ In some cases, Abbott’s initiative is having the opposite effect. Instead of being in jail for 6 months to a year on trespassing charges, some immigrants are resolving their cases in far less time or being released from jail on bond. houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas…
5/ Those immigrants are then free to stay in the U.S. as they make their claims for asylum. For them, Abbott’s Operation Lone Star is a short cut around Trump-era border policies. houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas…
6/6 Thousands have been able to bypass two policies in particular: Title 42, which allows authorities to expel migrants before they can make an asylum claim, and the Migrant Protection Protocols, which requires some to wait in Mexico for their hearings. houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas…
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