Kinney County, Texas, has collected $1.7 million in bail from migrants who were deported before their court appearances, not returning the money despite their deportation. The county aggressively enforces trespassing laws, arresting thousands of migrants under Operation Lone Star, which is a state-led initiative to curb illegal immigration. Many migrants, like Juan Antonio Gomez Torres, found themselves deported after posting bail, unaware they wouldn't be able to attend court hearings, leading to the forfeiture of their bail. While some counties returned bail to deported migrants, Kinney County maintained a strict stance, arguing that deportation is not a valid excuse for missing court. This practice has generated significant revenue for the county, funding raises and new equipment, while raising ethical and legal concerns about fairness and due process for the affected migrants.

Kinney County, located on the Texas-Mexico border, has retained $1.7 million in bail from deported migrants, a sum equivalent to funding the entire sheriff's department for a year, highlighting the county's financial gain from these practices.

Operation Lone Star, initiated by Governor Greg Abbott, aims to increase state-level immigration enforcement, resulting in over 39,000 migrants arrested for state violations like trespassing, with Kinney County being notably aggressive in enforcement.

Migrants like Juan Antonio Gomez Torres, who was arrested for trespassing, faced deportation soon after posting bail, unaware that they would forfeit their bail money due to their inability to attend court hearings post-deportation.

Despite other Texas counties dismissing charges against deported migrants and returning bail, Kinney County insists on forfeiting bail, with County Attorney Brent Smith arguing that migrants bear the responsibility for missing court despite being deported.

The county's actions have sparked debate about the fairness of bail forfeiture, with judges like Dennis Powell expressing discomfort over the practice, likening it to setting impossible conditions for court appearances.

Kinney County's approach has been criticized for failing to properly inform migrants of their court obligations, often due to incomplete contact details, resulting in missed hearings and subsequent bail forfeiture.

The county's policies have created an informal economy where migrants' families, pressured by prolonged detentions, resort to high-interest loans to pay bail, only to see the money lost after deportation, further indebting them.