AUSTIN, Texas (KXXV) — Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday thanked the U.S. House of Representatives for including $12 billion in border security reimbursements in former President Donald Trump’s proposed “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The funding would repay states, including Texas, for costs incurred while responding to what Abbott called “former President Joe Biden’s border crisis.”
“Former President Biden’s reckless open-border policies left Texas and the rest of America defenseless against an unprecedented surge of illegal immigration, requiring Texas to hold the line,” Abbott said in a statement.
Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in March 2021, deploying state resources to fill what he described as dangerous gaps in federal enforcement. Texas has spent more than $11 billion on border security through the program. Earlier this year, Abbott formally requested that Congress reimburse the state.
“I am grateful that the Texas Congressional Delegation pushed for its inclusion in the House version of President Trump’s bill, but more work remains,” Abbott said. “I will continue working with the U.S. Senate, the Texas Delegation, and President Trump to ensure Texas is fully reimbursed for doing the federal government’s job.”
In January, Abbott sent letters to Congressional leaders and all Texas lawmakers urging federal reimbursement for more than $11.1 billion in state expenditures related to border security.
