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15h ago

DHS Approves $7.5 Billion Reimbursement to Texas for Operation Lone Star

The payment replenishes most of Texas’ multibillion border spending with state officials saying they will pursue up to $3 billion more from the Justice Department.

Texas National Guard soldiers check concertina wire fence where migrants must cross through to turn themselves into Border Patrol in El Paso as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico on June 1, 2024.
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Texas Governor Greg Abbott and former President Donald J. Trump attend a security briefing with state officials and law enforcement at the Weslaco Department of Public Safety | (Jabin Botsford / Getty Images)

Overview

  • The Department of Homeland Security approved the $7.5 billion reimbursement, Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement Friday after a call with DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
  • The award comes from a State Border Security Reinforcement Fund created in the One Big Beautiful Bill and covers roughly three‑quarters of the federal pool set aside for state border reimbursements.
  • Texas says it spent more than $10–11 billion on Operation Lone Star, so the $7.5 billion will not fully cover costs that included overtime pay for troopers, about $3 billion for roughly 100 miles of barriers, buoys, razor wire, and other patrol and technology expenses.
  • Abbott’s office said the money could reach the Texas comptroller’s account within days but federal procedures require a formal award package, acceptance in FEMA’s system, and drawdown requests before funds are transferred.
  • The approval is a political win for Texas Republicans who pushed the reimbursement into federal law and leaves open fiscal questions about the state’s pending DOJ bid for up to $3 billion and the long‑term cost of ongoing operations and prosecutions.