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Published on January 24, 2025
Gov. Abbott Hits Congress with $11.1 Billion Bill for Texas Border Wall and Security OpsSource: Wikipedia/NASA Johnson Space Center / NASA-JSC/ROBERT MARKOWITZ, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has officially reached out to Congress with a hefty price tag, seeking reimbursement to the tune of $11.1 billion for border security measures, including the controversial border wall construction. The sum represents the state's spending since 2021 during the Biden administration, which Abbott attributes to policies that have left Texas "defenseless" against illegal immigration and border crime, as reported by Click2Houston.

In a detailed request, which was delivered to leaders on both sides of Congress and shared with the Texas Congressional Delegation, Abbott listed the financial burdens imposed on the state by the border crisis, delineating expenses ranging from National Guard deployments, which racked up $3.6 billion, to $2.3 billion for Texas state troopers engagement, and the Eagle Forward Operating Base costing over $116 million, as noted by The Texas Tribune; all in response to what is alleged as federal negligence to secure the nation's borders, the governor contends that this reimbursement claim is for the federal government to right its responsibilities, which the state has been upholding in its stead.

Abbott, in his letter, delineates the distribution of funds with a decisive focus on the border wall, which Texas has continued to construct despite federal cessation, with an alleged more than 100 miles completed and a cost of between $17 million and $41 million per mile; The Texas Tribune reports that, as of November 2024, 50 miles of wall have been officially confirmed as completed, Abbott lays out the financial implications for Texas taxpayers and the state's economy, stressing that the federal government should acknowledge the extent of the state's commitment to national security.

Moreover, the governor’s request has been echoed in the state legislature, with Rep. Cole Hefner's resolution supporting the demand for federal repayment. This is not the state's first foray into federal funding, having previously accessed roughly $1 billion through the Coronavirus Relief Fund and other transfers to fund Operation Lone Star. Recently, the Trump administration endorsed Abbott's decisions, praising them as crucial to the nation's safety during a speech on Monday.