GOP Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn introduced legislation on Monday to reimburse the State of Texas for the more than $11 billion that Texas taxpayers spent on Operation Lone Star, the Texas border security mission launched during the Biden administration.
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.”
JUST IN: Texas Senators Ted Cruz, John Cornyn and Congressman Chip Roy file legislation to reimburse Texas with $11B+ because of border security costs under the 4 years of Biden. pic.twitter.com/BoC2HB8PPy
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 19, 2025
The Operation Lone Star site reports that, among the resources employed, Governor Greg Abbott “deputized the Texas National Guard to make immigration arrests, deployed the Texas Tactical Border Force to work side-by-side with U.S. Border Patrol agents, directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to deploy tactical strike teams to help locate and arrest criminal illegal immigrants.”
[NOTE: Texas also reported raising money through donations for the border initiative, claiming (as of February 10, 2025) to have received $55,495,858.01 for “Texas Border Wall Funding” and $143,755.21 for the more general “Texas Border Security Funding.”]
So where would the Cruz-proposed $11 billion in federal compensation come from?
If the ‘State Border Security Assistance Act’ is passed, the funds would be “created” at the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to reimburse states “for actions they took after January 20, 2021, to secure the border.” Actions could include “construction of border wall, surveillance of the border, and apprehension, detention, and prosecution of individuals.”
When Texas is fully reimbursed, and at the end of the Trump administration, according to Cruz’s legislation, “any remaining money” would be sent to the Treasury “for debt-reduction purposes.”
Not all tax-paying Texan conservatives approve of the proposed legislation. More than one asked what will be done with the $11 billion once Texas receives the funds.
As one commenter replied, “If Texas would reimburse overtaxed property owners with it, I’d support this, but the @txlege will just waste it on DEI or increase the bloated rainy day fund that has over $30B in it. Texas doesn’t need extra funds. They will be getting even more from me this year.”
Another Texan disenchanted with the state government chimed in: “Then use it to lower our property taxes do not let the Texas House have it they will spend it on something stupid like Hollywood.”
Note: The FY2025 budget for the Department of Homeland Security is $107.9 billion, of which $62.2 billion is net discretionary funding. DHS’s budget for FY2026 is proposed at a historic $175 billion.
