Washington Approves $7.5 Billion to Reimburse Texas for Border Operations
The Department of Homeland Security has authorized a $7.5 billion payment to Texas, covering part of the costs incurred by the state's border-security program.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has approved a $7.5 billion reimbursement to Texas, aimed at recouping a portion of the costs of Operation Lone Star, the state’s large-scale border-security initiative launched in 2021. Governor Greg Abbott announced the payment, noting it as a step toward compensating Texas for the billions spent after the Biden administration’s policy changes that, according to Abbott and Border Czar Tom Homan, intentionally left the southern border unsecured.
The funding originates from the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” part of a $13.5 billion federal pool for state and local border-security expenses approved by Congress. Texas previously seized federal land in Eagle Pass during a January 2024 standoff to block illegal entries, asserting its constitutional right to defend its citizens. While the $7.5 billion eases the fiscal burden, it does not fully cover the $11 billion-plus Texas has already invested, nor does it erase the earlier expenditures.
Rep. Beth Van Duyne praised the reimbursement, attributing the need for federal aid to what she described as the Biden administration’s “illegal actions.” The payment also follows a broader push by Texas Republicans to secure federal funds for border-related costs.
Why it matters
It shows the federal government finally providing financial relief to a state that has shouldered large border-security costs.
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