Gov. Greg Abbott is asking the federal government for more than $11 billion in reimbursements to Texas for the costs of border security operations and wall construction during the Biden administration.
In letters sent Thursday to U.S. House and Senate leaders, Abbott requested $11.1 billion in federal funding to reimburse the state for spending since 2021 on border wall construction and costs stemming from Operation Lone Star. The letter, also sent to Texas’ congressional delegation, largely blames former President Joe Biden’s border security policy for leaving Texas “defenseless,” forcing state officials to expend billions. “The burden that our State has borne is a direct result of a refusal by the federal government to do its job,” Abbott said in the letter.
Since the Biden administration attempted to halt construction and spending on border wall construction, Texas has gone to great lengths to increase border security significantly. Abbott issued a disaster declaration in 2021 covering more than 50 counties near the U.S.-Mexico border, allowing the state to deploy National Guard soldiers for Operation Lone Star and increase trespassing penalties.
