U.S. Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, along with Congressman August Pfluger, have called on the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to prioritize reimbursing Texas for over $11 billion spent on border security measures. The request follows the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which established $13.5 billion in federal funds to compensate states that incurred costs due to what the lawmakers described as insufficient federal enforcement of immigration laws during the Biden administration.
The letter from Cruz, Cornyn, Pfluger, and other members of the Texas congressional delegation highlights Texas's efforts since March 2021 under Operation Lone Star. According to the letter, "In March 2021, Texas Governor Abbott launched Operation Lone Star to help secure the border when the federal government would not. Through this whole-of-government approach, the State of Texas built miles of border wall and buoy barriers and deployed personnel to maintain border infrastructure and apprehend illegal aliens, gang members, and other criminals."
The legislators argue that these actions were necessary for national security but contend that Texas should not be solely responsible for funding them. The letter states: "Texas’s actions through Operation Lone Star were absolutely vital to ensuring the safety and security of Americans across our great country. However, our State should not have had to bear alone the costs of securing the border when former President Biden intentionally failed to do so. 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."
The appeal was supported by several additional representatives from Texas.
Ted Cruz has a history of electoral victories in his state. In 2024 he won reelection against Colin Allred with 53.1% of votes compared to Allred's 44.6%. He previously defeated Beto O'Rourke in 2018 with 50.9% versus O'Rourke's 48.3%, and Paul Sadler in 2012 with 56.5% against Sadler's 40.6%.
