Governor Greg Abbott expressed his gratitude to the United States House of Representatives for approving a $12 billion allocation in President Donald J. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. This funding is intended to reimburse states for expenses incurred in addressing what Abbott described as a border crisis under former President Joe Biden.
“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,” stated Governor Abbott. He further explained that he initiated Operation Lone Star in March 2021 to address security gaps created by the previous administration’s policies. Under this operation, Texas invested over $11 billion from state taxpayers for border security efforts.
Abbott acknowledged the efforts of the Texas Congressional Delegation in ensuring that reimbursement was included in the House’s version of President Trump’s bill but noted that more work remains. “I will continue working with the U.S. Senate, Texas Congressional Delegation, and President Trump to ensure Texas is fully reimbursed for doing the federal government’s job to secure the border,” he said.
Earlier this year, Governor Abbott had formally requested Congress to reimburse Texas for its expenditures on border security through letters sent to U.S. Congressional Leadership and members of the Texas Congressional Delegation.
