Gov. Abbott wants federal reimbursement for Operation Lone Star

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wants Congress to reimburse Texas for more than $11 billion spent on border security during the Biden administration.

The governor said his Operation Lone Star initiatives are behind the money spent. The initiatives, launched by Abbott in 2021, involved multi-agency collaboration between the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Texas Military Department, including the deployment of state troopers, National Guard personnel, and other resources.

Abbott sent letters to the congressional leaders and members of the Texas congressional delegation Thursday, urging them to reimburse the state.

This comes after the governor met with House Speaker Mike Johnson last week to discuss border security.

Abbott said under Operation Lone Star state law enforcement has apprehended more than half a million undocumented immigrants, stopped more than 140,000 attempted "illegal entries," arrested over 50,000 people and seized more than half a billion doses of fentanyl.

"Even though the federal government has a duty to secure our nation's borders, from day one former President Joe Biden refused to enforce federal immigration law and pursued reckless open-border policies that invited record-breaking illegal immigration," Abbott said in the letter.

The Biden administration and Texas filed multiple lawsuits against each other over border security, barriers and immigration.

"Operation Lone Star was required to combat the massive caravans, rampant vehicle pursuits and bailouts, human trafficking, stash house operations, property damage, and unsafe conditions for Texans living on the border," Abbott's letter read.

U.S. Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he supports Abbott's effort for reimbursement.

"Texas taxpayers who have been financing Operation Lone Star for four years cannot be forgotten," Cornyn said in a statement. "I will fight to include funds in Congress' reconciliation legislation to reimburse Texas for its historic efforts to secure the border as a result of the Biden administration's complete and total absence and dereliction of duty."

In his letter, Abbott stated that before Biden's presidency, Texas spent $800 million per biennium to supplement federal efforts in securing the southern border.

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