Texas lawmakers seek to get federal reimbursement for Biden-era border control expenses
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By Charles Creitz
Published May 20, 2025
Two U.S. Texas senators and a prominent conservative congressman are pushing the federal government to reimburse the state for billions spent securing the southern border under the Biden administration.
The State Border Security Assistance Act would create Justice Department and Homeland Security Department funding sources to reimburse states for actions taken on the border security front after Jan. 20, 2021 – the day of former President Joe Biden's inauguration.
Those funds would then reimburse costs for border wall construction, state law enforcement surveillance, apprehension, detention and prosecution of illegal immigrants.
Texas would be ensured to be fully reimbursed if the law passes, and any funds left over by the time the Trump administration leaves office would be returned to the Treasury and applied to the national debt.
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The bill was drafted by Texas Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, with companion legislation being crafted by Rep. Chip Roy.
Operation Lone Star, Texas' border security endeavor during the Biden years, had to be launched and self-funded from Austin due to the "dereliction of duty" by the feds at the time, according to the Texans.
"Texas was on the front lines of the Biden administration's open border crisis, and Texans were on their own dealing with the consequences," Cruz said in a statement. "I am proud to stand with Governor Abbott and Senator Cornyn to ensure the Lone Star State is reimbursed, and I urge my colleagues to pass this bill expeditiously."
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Cornyn echoed Cruz, saying they and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott – along with state taxpayers – were forced to do what the previous administration would not.
"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 went on.
"Thanks to the strong leadership of President [Donald] 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."
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Roy added in a statement that Biden and former DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' behavior led to an "invasion of lawlessness, crime, danger, and drugs, putting Texans, and every American in harms way."
States like Texas "stood on the front lines to defend our nation when the federal government would not [and] deserve to be reimbursed by the very federal government that should have done its job in the first place."
Abbott recently released a rundown of expenditures he would like to see in any reimbursement, including $58 million alone for concertina wire and border fencing – as well as $77 million in court costs for prosecutions and nearly $20 million for costs associated with investigating vehicle thefts in border towns, according to FOX-4.
Fox News Digital reached out to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton – who is vying for Cornyn's seat – as well as DHS, for comment. Print Close
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