'Big Beautiful Bill' could reimburse Texas for billions spent on border security
President Trump plans to sign big beautiful bill
President Trump plans to sign his massive tax and spending cuts package tomorrow. The deadline he set for the bill's passage. The bill cleared the U.S. house after hours of delay by democrats and some republican holdouts.
On Thursday, the U.S. House passed a sweeping tax and spending bill. After a 218-214 vote, the "Big Beautiful Bill" is now headed to President Trump's desk for approval.
The 940-page bill contains several items, including one that could reimburse Texas for its efforts to stop illegal immigration during the Biden administration.
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) highway patrol troopers look over the Rio Grande as migrants walk by a string of buoys placed on the water along the Rio Grande border with Mexico in Eagle Pass, Texas, on July 15, 2023, to prevent illegal immi
State Border Security Reinforcement Fund
What we know:
The bill would establish a fund within the Department of Homeland Security called the "State Border Security Reinforcement Fund."
The fund would give grant money to states and local governments who took steps to secure the border on or after January 20, 2021, the date of Joe Biden's inauguration.
The money could be used to reimburse payments made for border walls, border fencing or other barriers along the southern border, any work to prepare the ground or land to construct a border wall or fencing, efforts to detect or stop illegal substances, efforts to detect or stop people who entered the United States illegally and committed a crime, and the relocation of migrants illegally in the United States from small population centers to other domestic locations.
Department of Homeland Security putting 17 miles of barriers into Rio Grande
The department says the floating barrier will deter people from attempting to cross the US-Mexico border through dangerous waterways.
Each state must apply for a grant and explain why the state wants the funds and what they plan to do with it.
Applications will upon within 90 days of the bill going into effect.
The federal government also provides up to $10 billion for the reimbursement for border security efforts until Sept. 2029.
What they're saying:
"I was in the state house for 12 years. I voted for over $20 billion for border security, specifically because the last four years, the federal government not only said they're not going to enforce the laws on the books for border of security, they actually told the border patrol agents to stand down not to do their jobs," said Rep. Craig Goldman (R-Fort Worth). "We were able to get 12, 13 billion dollars reimbursed to the state of Texas for border security in this bill."
Gov. Abbott asks for $11 billion in border security reimbursements
Texas ends funding for state border wall program
With only a small portion completed, the wall being constructed at the border of Texas and Mexico has been defunded by the new state budget.
The backstory:
In January, Gov. Greg Abbott asked for Congress to reimburse Texas for efforts to secure the border during the Biden Administration.
He called for the federal government to pay back $11.1 billion that was spent on Operation Lone Star, Texas' border security effort.
READ MORE: After Texas stops funding border wall program, 'One Big Beautiful Bill' would fill the gap
The Governor later made a trip to Washington to discuss the potential reimbursement.
By the numbers:
In the letter, Gov. Abbott included a funding breakdown of Operation Lone Star.
- $4.75 billion - Border wall, other border barriers, local border security grants, processing criminal trespass arrests, relocation of migrants
- $3.62 billion - Personnel costs deployment of National Guard soldiers
- $2.25 billion - Personnel costs Texas state troopers
- $311.2 million - Anti-gang intelligence
- $77.3 million - Court costs for prosecution of border crimes
- $62.6 million - Personnel costs game wardens
- $32.8 million - Health and safety services at criminal processing centers
- $19.2 million - Investigation and prosecution of vehicle thefts along Texas-Mexico border
- $13.7 million - Human trafficking interdiction by the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
- $10 million - Removal of brush to improve visibility for law enforcement
- $5.2 million - Prosecutions by the Attorney General for crimes relating to human trafficking
The Source: Information in this article comes from House Bill 1 - The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, a letter from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and past FOX coverage.