news

Originally Published in the Dallas Morning News on November 14, 2025.

It’s been more than four months since President Donald Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill, which included billions of dollars to reimburse states for border security and immigration enforcement costs incurred during the previous four years.

Texas Republicans pushed to include that money in the measure, saying former President Joe Biden’s “open border” policies created a hardship on states that were forced to pick up the slack.

U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, and U.S. Rep. August Pfluger, R-San Angelo, led the letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

The law includes $13.5 billion for reimbursements, with $10 billion allocated to the Homeland Security Department and the balance going to the Justice Department.

“President Biden’s open-border policies imposed a substantial cost on communities in Texas, through increased fentanyl trafficking, crime, and even stress on local emergency response services,” the lawmakers said in the letter.

They highlighted how Gov. Greg Abbott launched Operation Lone Star, which involved sending state troopers and National Guard soldiers to the border, as well as putting razor wire and other physical barriers along the Rio Grande.

Republicans say the initiative cost at least $11.1 billion.

Congressional Republicans from Texas have advocated for years to have the state reimbursed.

Texas Democrats have criticized Operation Lone Star as political grandstanding and a misguided waste of taxpayer money.

Republicans praised the initiative in their Friday letter, saying it helped reduce illegal crossings and intercept fentanyl, which protected all Americans.

“We therefore respectfully ask that, as the Departments prepare to disburse the funds set aside in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the State of Texas be fully reimbursed for the costs incurred to protect Americans from illegal immigration and drug trafficking under former President Biden’s disastrous leadership,” they said in the letter.