Joint Public Defenders’ Letter Re: Operation Lone Star
April 6, 2022
Merrick Garland, U.S. Attorney General
Lisa Monaco, Deputy Attorney General
Vanita Gupta, Associate Attorney General
Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General
United States Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW Washington, D.C. 20530
Re: Operation Lone Star
Dear Attorney General Garland, Deputy Attorney General Monaco, Associate Attorney General Gupta, Assistant Attorney General Clarke:
As public defenders from around the country who fight daily for fairness, justice, and due process in the criminal legal system, we are outraged by flagrantly unconstitutional arrests and prosecutions taking place in Texas under “Operation Lone Star.” As we write, the program is set to expand dramatically into four additional counties: Jim Hogg, Brooks, Webb, and Uvalde. We add our voices to those requesting that you take immediate action in response to the Title VI Complaint filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ) on December 15, 2021, and the Supplemental Complaint filed on February 23, 2022. We urge you to investigate and terminate funding for any state or local agency that participates in this transparently racist and blatantly unconstitutional program before it expands any further.