Greg Abbott seeks $11 billion in federal reimbursements for border security

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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.

Alongside the written request to Congress was a table breaking down how the $11 billion was spent, with $3.6 billion alone allocated to National Guard deployment, and $2.3 billion for Texas state troopers. Currently 4,200 soldiers are deployed at the border, according to the letter, and as many as 10,000 were stationed there during high points, leading to more than 50,000 criminal arrests.

The largest portion of the estimate — $4.8 billion — went to border wall construction, processing criminal trespasses and relocating migrants “out of small Texas towns.” Abbott clarified in the letter that about $3 billion went to border wall construction alone. The wall has cost the state anywhere from $17 million to $41 million to construct per mile in fragmented sections across six counties, and the letter claims more than 100 miles of the wall has been built since 2021. However, as of November 2024, only about 50 miles of border wall were confirmed to have been completed.

More than $116 million was also spent on the Eagle Forward Operating Base, the first military base at Texas’ southern border. The base, which began housing National Guard members in May, costs $14.5 million per month to operate, and officials in 2024 estimated it would save about $11.5 million per month in state lodging costs.

Abbott’s request was shortly followed by a resolution filed in the Texas House by Rep. Cole Hefner, R-Mount Pleasant, which requests that the state Legislature also demand the $11 billion from the federal government.

While the request itself is new, the use of federal funds for Texas’ border operations is not. Roughly $1 billion in federal funding already has been used to pay for Operation Lone Star through reallocations from the Coronavirus Relief Fund via the Cares Act and through a series of small transfers to the governor’s office. The request also comes after President Donald Trump spent several minutes praising Abbott during a speech on Monday, specifically referring to his border security efforts.

Calling the border the nation’s “number one” issue Monday, Trump, since taking office, has been implementing sweeping measures to halt both legal immigration and border crossings.