The main responsibility of the government is to ensure the safety of its citizens. President Biden has fallen short on this, permitting countless illegal immigrants, criminals, and drug cartels to traffic dangerous synthetic opioids across the border.
Meanwhile, states like Texas are dealing with the fallout. The state has spent billions on Operation Lone Star, trying to address this crisis. We should express gratitude to Governor Greg Abbott for stepping in where the Biden administration has failed, but we also have a financial obligation to Texas. It’s time for the federal government to reimburse Texas taxpayers.
Since Biden took office, he has rolled back successful immigration policies from the previous administration. He abandoned Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy, stopped the construction of border barriers, and discontinued Title 42, which had been a crucial defense against rising immigration levels.
Biden has overseen a surge in illegal immigration that has outpaced anything seen in prior decades. Over the past four years, Border Patrol has encountered more than 10 million illegal entrants. Additionally, over 1.7 million individuals have managed to evade border agents and are now unaccounted for within the U.S.
Tragically, many Americans have died due to fentanyl overdoses, a drug that is produced using precursor chemicals from China and trafficked by cartels taking advantage of lax border controls. Innocent victims, like Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray, lost their lives to violent offenders who crossed these borders illegally.
It’s frustrating to see enforceable immigration measures ignored amid all this chaos. Biden claims there’s nothing more he can do, yet the stark realities speak for themselves—our borders are dangerously open.
This crisis has had a particularly severe impact on Texas. As the state with the longest border with Mexico, Governor Abbott felt compelled to act while the president seemed absent when faced with this disaster.
Texas law enforcement has apprehended over half a million illegal immigrants, including more than 50,000 involved in criminal activities. According to the governor, Texas has constructed over 240 miles of barriers and seized around 500 million fentanyl doses, managing to reduce illegal immigration by 87%. However, these efforts have come at a staggering cost of over $11 billion—money that Texans should not have to pay for basic security that the federal government is supposed to provide.
If there’s any lingering doubt that Biden’s policies have contributed to the chaos at the southern border, look at how quickly things turned around during Trump’s tenure. Even before taking office, immigration numbers began to decline. The first two weeks of 2025 saw Border Patrol encounters nearly 50% lower than they were at the same point in 2021, when Biden first took office. During Trump’s administration, daily encounters dropped by 95%.
This dramatic improvement is credited to the common-sense policies enacted by Trump and his administration. Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border right away, ended the “catch and release” approach, and reinstated the “Remain in Mexico” policy. Under Trump, arrests of criminal immigrants surged over 600%.
The contrast with Biden’s administration could not be starker. However, the ramifications Texas has endured—along with the economic costs incurred for the sake of national security—must be reimbursed.
The crisis created by the Biden administration needs attention, and Congress must take action. Texans have faced the brunt of open borders, violent crime, and a fentanyl epidemic for four years, leading to financial burdens that should not be theirs to bear.
In late January, Governor Abbott urged Congress to reimburse Texas for the $11.1 billion spent by its taxpayers. I teamed up with President Trump and Texas Republicans to push for this demand through what we’ve termed the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”
With Texas Republicans forming the largest GOP delegation in the House, it was crucial to rally their support for this bill. The initial text released did not address Texas’s reimbursement, which was unacceptable.
Working closely with Rep. Chip Roy, we managed to incorporate language in the bill aimed at compensating states like Texas. Thankfully, these provisions were approved in the House.
The next challenge will be to guide our refund clause through the Senate. I’m collaborating with leadership to push for even stronger provisions in this bill. I’m committed to working with Abbott and Trump to ensure that this language makes it into the final version of the bill, one that will go to the president’s desk.
The road ahead may be long, but Texans are known for their resilience. Biden has neglected his responsibilities at the border, and now it’s up to Congress to mend the damage and ensure Texas taxpayers get the support they need.
