Texas Department of Public Safety participated in a multi-agency operation by executing a search warrant to apprehend a suspect who posted violent threats against ICE agents and DHS Sec. Kristi Noem on social media, demonstrating a commitment to public safety and democratic order.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has significantly expanded its use of AI-powered surveillance technology—including facial recognition, license plate tracking, and social media monitoring—under emergency declarations and legislative backing. This expansion raises concerns over warrantless monitoring, privacy violations, and the creation of a surveillance state.

Texas DPS, in collaboration with Governor Abbott and the Texas National Guard, deployed advanced drone and surveillance technology as part of Operation Lone Star to deter and apprehend individuals illegally crossing the border.

In June 2024, the Texas Department of Public Safety signed a 5-year acquisition plan worth nearly $5.3 million for the surveillance tool Tangles from tech firm PenLink. The tool, which includes features such as geofencing that allow tracking of mobile devices without a warrant, has raised concerns among digital rights advocates about potential abuses and the expansion of state surveillance capabilities.

In June, the Texas Department of Public Safety signed a five‐year, nearly $5.3 million contract for an AI-powered digital surveillance platform called Tangles, which provides geofencing and mobile device tracking capabilities without requiring a warrant. The acquisition, intended to help disrupt potential domestic terrorism and mass casualty threats, has raised significant privacy and civil liberties concerns.

A new 77‐page report by Human Rights Watch calls on Texas DPS to reform its high-speed vehicle pursuit policy, citing dangerous chases that disproportionately endanger border communities and evidence suggesting racial profiling in the selection of pursuit targets.

A Human Rights Watch report reveals that the Texas Department of Public Safety, under Governor Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, conducted aggressive and dangerous vehicle pursuits from March 2021 through July 2023. These chases resulted in at least 74 deaths, 189 injuries, and significant property damage, reflecting an alarming policy approach that appears designed to serve a politically driven law enforcement agenda, with dire human rights consequences.

An internal email from a DPS trooper medic details incidents on June 30 and July 1, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas, where DHS officers and the Texas National Guard used razor wire and coercive pushback tactics that endangered migrants. The email reports that migrants, including a 4-year-old, a pregnant woman, and a 15-year-old boy, suffered severe injuries, with the department refusing to remove dangerous measures even after requests.