Latest news with #OperationLoneStar
The Herald Scotland
06-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Budget bill includes $10B for states that spent on border security
"Under Operation Lone Star, Texas allocated more than $11 billion of Texas taxpayer money for border security, and earlier this year I requested Congress reimburse Texas for these costs in full," Abbott said in a May statement, after an initial version of the bill passed in the House of Representatives. The new "State Border Border Security Reinforcement Fund" earmarks $10 billion for grants to states that paid for border barriers or other security measures beginning Jan. 20, 2021 - President Joe Biden's inauguration day. Notably, during the Biden administration, no other state spent more than Texas on border security measures. Under Operation Lone Star, the state deployed thousands of Texas National Guard troops to the border, placed controversial buoy barriers in the Rio Grande and paid to bus more than 100,000 migrants to Democrat-led cities around the country. Abbott was one of Biden's leading critics on the border during a period when the Border Patrol was registering more than 2 million migrant encounters a year - many of them lawful asylum-seekers. The "reinforcement" provision "just says 'states can apply.' But what states incurred expenses? Texas and Arizona," said Adam Isacson, director of defense oversight for the Washington Office on Latin America. Early during the Biden administration, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, sought to build a makeshift border barrier out of old shipping containers. But legal challenges forced his administration to remove the barrier, and his Democratic successor, Gov. Katie Hobbs, had previously asked the Biden administration to reimburse the state for border security funding totaling $513 million. The budget reconciliation bill includes an additional $3.5 billion under a fund whose acronym spells BIDEN: "Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide." That money can be disbursed to states that aid the federal government in its immigration crackdown. In an emailed response to questions, Abbott Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris declined to say how much money Texas will apply for but told USA TODAY the governor "will continue to work closely with the Trump administration to secure the border. "
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Budget bill includes $10B payday for states that spent on border security
Tucked into the budget reconciliation bill is a Texas-sized golden nugget: $13.5 billion that could pay back what the state spent on border security during the Biden administration. The bill – which passed Congress on July 3 – doesn't mention Texas by name. But Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lobbied hard for the line item's inclusion, and the state's Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn fought for the reimbursement. "Under Operation Lone Star, Texas allocated more than $11 billion of Texas taxpayer money for border security, and earlier this year I requested Congress reimburse Texas for these costs in full," Abbott said in a May statement, after an initial version of the bill passed in the House of Representatives. The new "State Border Border Security Reinforcement Fund" earmarks $10 billion for grants to states that paid for border barriers or other security measures beginning Jan. 20, 2021 – President Joe Biden's inauguration day. Notably, during the Biden administration, no other state spent more than Texas on border security measures. Under Operation Lone Star, the state deployed thousands of Texas National Guard troops to the border, placed controversial buoy barriers in the Rio Grande and paid to bus more than 100,000 migrants to Democrat-led cities around the country. Abbott was one of Biden's leading critics on the border during a period when the Border Patrol was registering more than 2 million migrant encounters a year – many of them lawful asylum-seekers. The "reinforcement" provision "just says 'states can apply.' But what states incurred expenses? Texas and Arizona," said Adam Isacson, director of defense oversight for the Washington Office on Latin America. Early during the Biden administration, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, sought to build a makeshift border barrier out of old shipping containers. But legal challenges forced his administration to remove the barrier, and his Democratic successor, Gov. Katie Hobbs, had previously asked the Biden administration to reimburse the state for border security funding totaling $513 million. The budget reconciliation bill includes an additional $3.5 billion under a fund whose acronym spells BIDEN: "Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide." That money can be disbursed to states that aid the federal government in its immigration crackdown. In an emailed response to questions, Abbott Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris declined to say how much money Texas will apply for but told USA TODAY the governor "will continue to work closely with the Trump administration to secure the border. " This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Budget bill includes $10B for states that spent on border security
USA Today
05-07-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Budget bill includes $10B payday for states that spent on border security
Tucked into the budget reconciliation bill is a Texas-sized golden nugget: $13.5 billion that could pay back what the state spent on border security during the Biden administration. The bill – which passed Congress on July 3 – doesn't mention Texas by name. But Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lobbied hard for the line item's inclusion, and the state's Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn fought for the reimbursement. "Under Operation Lone Star, Texas allocated more than $11 billion of Texas taxpayer money for border security, and earlier this year I requested Congress reimburse Texas for these costs in full," Abbott said in a May statement, after an initial version of the bill passed in the House of Representatives. The new "State Border Border Security Reinforcement Fund" earmarks $10 billion for grants to states that paid for border barriers or other security measures beginning Jan. 20, 2021 – President Joe Biden's inauguration day. Notably, during the Biden administration, no other state spent more than Texas on border security measures. Under Operation Lone Star, the state deployed thousands of Texas National Guard troops to the border, placed controversial buoy barriers in the Rio Grande and paid to bus more than 100,000 migrants to Democrat-led cities around the country. Abbott was one of Biden's leading critics on the border during a period when the Border Patrol was registering more than 2 million migrant encounters a year – many of them lawful asylum-seekers. The "reinforcement" provision "just says 'states can apply.' But what states incurred expenses? Texas and Arizona," said Adam Isacson, director of defense oversight for the Washington Office on Latin America. Early during the Biden administration, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, sought to build a makeshift border barrier out of old shipping containers. But legal challenges forced his administration to remove the barrier, and his Democratic successor, Gov. Katie Hobbs, had previously asked the Biden administration to reimburse the state for border security funding totaling $513 million. The budget reconciliation bill includes an additional $3.5 billion under a fund whose acronym spells BIDEN: "Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide." That money can be disbursed to states that aid the federal government in its immigration crackdown. In an emailed response to questions, Abbott Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris declined to say how much money Texas will apply for but told USA TODAY the governor "will continue to work closely with the Trump administration to secure the border. "
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas' border wall plan appears to be facing a sad, silent death
Texas appears to have quietly stopped funding its plans to construct its own border wall with Mexico, which could mark the end of an embarrassing boondoggle designed to bolster one of President Donald Trump's early campaign slogans. For years, conservatives have framed the idea of a border wall as essential to immigration enforcement, despite a chorus of critics denouncing it as costly and ineffective. And Texas Republicans' decision to defund the project seems like a tacit acknowledgment of that reality. The Texas Tribune was first to report that a new state budget signed into law earlier this month includes no money for the wall, which was envisioned as covering more than 800 miles. But only a fraction of that was ever completed — at great cost to taxpayers. According to the Tribune: Four years after Gov. Greg Abbott announced Texas would be the first state to build its own border wall, lawmakers have quietly stopped funding the project, leaving only scattered segments covering a small fraction of the border. That decision, made in the waning hours of this year's legislative session, leaves the future of the state wall unclear. Just 8% of the 805 miles the state identified for construction is complete, which has cost taxpayers more than $3 billion to date. The Texas Tribune reported last year that the wall is full of gaps that migrants and smugglers can easily walk around and mostly concentrated on sprawling ranches in rural areas, where illegal border crossings are less likely to occur. Some Texas Republicans seem intent on spinning this retreat from their ill-conceived idea as a victory of sorts, or at least downplaying it as a sign of GOP backtracking. A spokesperson for Gov. Greg Abbott told the Tribune that the Trump administration's immigration crackdown has allowed the state to adjust its enforcement plans. And state Sen. Joan Huffman, the state's lead budget writer, told the outlet that rather than paying for the wall, the budget authorizes money for state entities that are aiding Abbott's immigration crusade: a controversial project known as Operation Lone Star, which also has been denounced as a tremendous waste of time and money. The idea of a 'big, beautiful wall' between the U.S. and Mexico has become deeply ingrained in the MAGA movement — Trump's followers have used chants and costumes to celebrate it. And yet, the idea appears dead as a doornail in Texas, a state virtually under total Republican control. And at this point, the scattered remains of the state's border wall seem like little more than shrines to the president's ignorant policies. This article was originally published on
Newsweek
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Texas Defunds Border Wall
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Texas lawmakers have decided to halt funding for new construction of the state's border wall. Why It Matters Only 65 miles of the planned 805 miles have been completed, with the project costing taxpayers more than $3 billion. The decision to stop funding new segments was made during the final hours of this year's legislative session. Texas Republicans appeared to end the funding without any public debate. A section of the border wall is pictured near La Grulla, Texas, on July 14, 2021. A section of the border wall is pictured near La Grulla, Texas, on July 14, 2021. Delcia Lopez/The Monitor via AP What To Know In President Donald Trump's first term, when wall construction was a key focus, his administration completed 21 miles of wall in Texas. In early June, lawmakers finalized the state budget, approving $3.4 billion for border security. Newsweek understands that no new wall projects will use state dollars. The majority of the funds will be allocated to the Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard, the agencies responsible for apprehending migrants as part of Governor Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star. State Senator Joan Huffman, the state's lead budget writer, told Newsweek: "The Trump administration's policies have drastically reduced the number of illegal border crossings. However, the State of Texas is still allocating billions of dollars in the upcoming biennium to ensure that the state's southern border remains secure." In May 2025, Border Patrol recorded 8,725 encounters with individuals crossing the southwest border between ports of entry. This represents a 93 percent decrease compared to May 2024, when there were 117,905 such encounters. The numbers remain at historically low levels, indicating increased border security and control, along with notable operational effectiveness. Andrew Mahaleris, a senior Abbott aide, told Newsweek the Trump administration's effort to secure the border has enabled the state to make adjustments to how it allocates its resources. "Because of these renewed federal assets in Texas, our state can now adjust aspects of state-funded border security efforts," Mahaleris told Newsweek. "Specialized units within the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Military Department will carry on their missions both at the border and throughout Texas." According to the Texas Tribune, approximately 65 miles of border wall have been constructed in segments, primarily in the areas around Brownsville and El Paso. The Texas Facilities Commission, the state agency overseeing wall construction, said in January that its goal is to complete at least 100 miles of wall by the end of 2026. With $3 billion previously allocated by the Legislature, only enough funding remains to complete 83 miles—just 18 miles more than the 65 miles already built. In March 2021, Governor Abbott launched Operation Lone Star, a joint effort between the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Military Department aimed at curbing illegal immigration and strengthening border security with Mexico. The initiative has deployed thousands of Texas National Guard troops and law enforcement officers to the border and introduced physical deterrents, including razor wire fencing. In the Rio Grande, floating barriers equipped with saw-like metal plates have been installed to discourage crossings. The $11 billion program was the brainchild of Abbott, who has said he was left with no choice because of the Biden administration's border security policies. What People Are Saying Mahaleris told Newsweek: "Thanks to the Trump administration's border security efforts, total border security posture will remain at similar levels. Texas will continue to maintain a robust presence with our federal partners to arrest, jail, and deport illegal immigrants." Huffman told Newsweek: "Most of the state funds will support Operation Lone Star, including funding to support the personnel and technology needed along the border where interdictions often occur. Furthermore, appropriations available to the Facilities Commission in the current biennium will allow for continued work on the border wall through 2026 and will set the federal government up for success as they assume the project in future years. Texas will continue to work alongside the federal government to develop border security strategies that are focused on making our communities safer." What Happens Next The move could potentially lead to a spike in border crossings into Texas. Officials say maintaining a strong state presence will be key to preventing that outcome. As federal involvement increases, Texas plans to recalibrate its role while continuing to support enforcement and construction efforts along the border.
