Sen. Cornyn files bill to reimburse Texas for border security

article

STARR COUNTY, TEXAS - DECEMBER 2: Aerial view, Unfinished sections of a border wall under construction cut through agricultural land about a mile inland from the Rio Grande River, December 2, 2023, in Starr County, Texas. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstei

Expand

WASHINGTON - Sen. John Cornyn has introduced a bill to repay the state of Texas more than $11 billion for money spent on border security.

The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz and will be pushed in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Chip Roy.

What we know:

The bill would require the Department of Justice and Homeland Security to reimburse states for border security actions taken after Jan. 20, 2021, including construction of a border wall, surveillance of the border and arrests of those entering the country illegally.

Money not spent after reimbursement would be returned to the Treasury at the end of President Donald Trump's term.

What they're saying:

"For four years, Governor Abbott and Texas taxpayers were forced to bear the brunt of the Biden-Harris border crisis. Today, I am proud to introduce my legislation to reimburse Texas for its historic efforts to secure the southern border. My bill will ensure the Lone Star State is repaid for stepping up to protect and defend our nation’s southern border while the Biden-Harris administration abdicated its federal duty," Cornyn said. "Thanks to the strong leadership of President Trump, Secretary Kristi Noem, Border Czar Tom Homan, and Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks, our country is finally back to enforcing the immigration laws that have been on the books for years, and I will continue to work with the Trump administration to ensure Texas never again has to endure an open-border disaster like we saw under Joe Biden."

Gov. Abbott's reimbursement request

Gov. Greg Abbott sent letters to the Texas Congressional Delegation and Congressional leaders back in January calling for the federal government to pay back $11.1 billion that was spent on Operation Lone Star.

By the numbers:

In the letter, Gov. Abbott included a funding breakdown of Operation Lone Star.

• $4.75 billion - Border wall, other border barriers, local border security grants, processing criminal trespass arrests, relocation of migrants
• $3.62 billion - Personnel costs deployment of National Guard soldiers
• $2.25 billion - Personnel costs Texas state troopers
• $311.2 million - Anti-gang intelligence
• $77.3 million - Court costs for prosecution of border crimes
• $62.6 million - Personnel costs game wardens
• $32.8 million - Health and safety services at criminal processing centers
• $19.2 million - Investigation and prosecution of vehicle thefts along Texas-Mexico border
• $13.7 million - Human trafficking interdiction by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
• $10 million - Removal of brush to improve visibility for law enforcement
• $5.2 million - Prosecutions by the Attorney General for crimes relating to human trafficking

Operation Lone Star

The backstory:

Governor Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in 2021.

The program deployed state resources, including more than 10,000 members of the state National Guard and troopers from the Department of Public Safety, to the southern border.

Gov. Abbott claims that Operation Lone Star has led to more than 50,000 criminal arrests and repelled more than 140,000 illegal entries into the state.

The governor says that in the past four years, Operation Lone Star has reduced illegal immigration into Texas by 87 percent. 

The other side:

Immigration rights groups have argued that Operation Lone Star is not effective.

The ACLU released a 2024 report claiming that nearly 70 percent of the arrests were for misdemeanor charges, like trespassing.

The same report found that the program mostly prosecuted people from the United States.

Some residents in border communities have opposed the law enforcement presence in their area.