After Texas stops funding border wall program, 'One Big Beautiful Bill' would fill the gap

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US President Donald Trump participates in a ceremony commemorating the 200th mile of border wall at the international border with Mexico in San Luis, Arizona, June 23, 2020. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON - With Texas stopping new funding for Gov. Greg Abbott's border wall plan, President Donald Trump is telling the Senate to "lock yourself in a room if you must" to pass his spending bill that would replace the effort.

The One Big Beautiful Bill looks to spend $46.5 billion on physical improvements to border security. The change would come after Texas’ 2025-2026 budget quietly removed funding from their state version of the program.

One Bill Beautiful Bill Border Spending

Of nearly $150 billion laid out in House Resolution 1, labeled the "One Big Beautiful Bill," $46.5 billion is penciled in for physical border security improvements. These include primary, waterborne and secondary barriers, as well as barrier system attributes including cameras, lights, sensors, roads etc. 

According to the Associated Press, this funding would aim to complete 701 miles of primary walls and 900 miles of river barriers along the nation’s border with Mexico. 

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The thousand-page bill also includes plans to reimburse states for their immigration spending since 2021 to the tune of $12 billion in total. In January, Abbott requested nearly the same amount from Congress for that purpose. 

Texas Defunds Border Wall

Local perspective:

Since the 2021 establishment of Abbott’s Operation Lone Star (OLS), the state has spent about $4.75 billion on physical border security, including the wall, other barriers, local security grants, arrests and migrant relocation. The state has constructed a reported 65 miles of wall in that time. 

With the passing of Senate Bill 1, Texas’ budget for the next two years, $3.4 billion was set aside for border security. A state representative confirmed last week that none of that funding will go towards the wall, and will instead largely bolster the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard -  the agencies responsible for arresting undocumented immigrants under OLS. 

A spokesperson for Abbott said the funding change was directly due to President Donald Trump’s promise to increase border security. In short, Texas no longer needs to build the wall because the U.S. is retaking the reins. 

Immigration Security Reimbursement 

FILE IMAGE - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks alongside former President Donald Trump during a tour of an unfinished section of the border wall on June 30, 2021, in Pharr, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Dig deeper:

Since Abbott’s launch of OLS four years ago, the state has spent about $11.1 billion on the initiative. Along with the $4.75 billion price tag of physical border security, some of the other big spends included $3.62 billion on the National Guard and $2.25 billion on Texas state troopers. 

Abbott requested a full reimbursement from Congress in January, laying out a full spending report and saying Texas had been fulfilling the duty of the federal government when former President Joe Biden refused to do so.

What we don't know:

Of the 12 billion promised in House Resolution 1 for reimbursements, it’s unclear how much is meant specifically for Texas. 

What's next:

Congress passed House Resolution 1 215-214 on May 22. 

The bill now rests in the hands of the Senate, who Trump called to action on Tuesday via his social media platform, Truth Social:

"Now that we have made PEACE abroad, we must finish the job here at home by passing "THE GREAT, BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL," and getting the Bill to my desk, ASAP. It will be a Historic Present for THE GREAT PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, as we begin the Celebration of our Country’s 250th Birthday. We are finally entering our Golden Age, which will bring unprecedented Safety, Security, and Prosperity for ALL of our Citizens. To my friends in the Senate, lock yourself in a room if you must, don’t go home, and GET THE DEAL DONE THIS WEEK. Work with the House so they can pick it up, and pass it, IMMEDIATELY. NO ONE GOES ON VACATION UNTIL IT’S DONE. Everyone, most importantly the American People, will be much better off thanks to our work together. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) posted a statement to X last week in support of the bill.