Operation Stonegarden: Reverse-Engineering Immigration Policy at the Border

• In Event: 20862 - Section on International Migration Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 14: Immigration Control and Enforcement

Abstract

This study examines the role of Operation Stonegarden (OPSG), a federal grant program that facilitates cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to secure U.S. borders. While existing literature on OPSG is limited, this research explores how local officials perceive their involvement with the program and its implications for internal immigration enforcement. By focusing on two geographically similar but politically distinct border counties in Texas New Mexico, the study offers insights into the operational scope and the broader political and social dynamics shaped by the program.
The findings reveal that OPSG reinforces the U.S.-Mexico border by expanding immigration authority and linking Border Patrol with local law enforcement. It also highlights local officials’ frustrations with their subservience to Border Patrol and their reliance on OPSG for financial support and resources. This program, while discreet, serves as a de facto tool for immigration control, with its deployment often left to the discretion of local officers. The study further demonstrates how smaller-scale enforcement efforts like OPSG can influence national immigration policies over time.
This research contributes to the broader understanding of how local-level policing and federal programs like OPSG shape immigration control practices and policies. It calls for further examination of such programs to understand their long-term impact on border security, local governance, and migration control.

Author

• Jesús Ayala-Candia, University of California-San Diego