Operation Lone Star Reimbursement Act
Congress Proposes Paying Texas $11.1 Billion for State-Led Border Security Efforts
Stalled
No legislative action in over 90 days.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill asks the federal government to pay back the state of Texas for money spent on border security. Texas officials say they had to use state tax dollars to secure the border between January 2021 and January 2025 because they felt federal actions were not enough to stop illegal activity.
- The state of Texas reports spending $11.1 billion on a program called Operation Lone Star. According to the bill, these funds were used to build 240 miles of border barriers, seize 500 million doses of fentanyl, and make over 50,000 arrests to stop human trafficking and drug smuggling.
- To get the money, the Governor of Texas would need to submit a detailed list of all border expenses to the Department of Homeland Security. Federal officials would then have 120 days to review the application and decide which specific costs qualify for a refund.
- Once the review is finished, the U.S. Treasury would be required to pay Texas within 60 days. This would shift the cost of these state-run border operations from Texas taxpayers to the federal government.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
This bill frames undocumented immigrants as a security threat and seeks to reimburse Texas for enforcement activities that directly target them, including apprehensions, border barrier construction, and denied entries. If passed, it would validate and financially reward aggressive state-level enforcement, potentially encouraging similar crackdowns in other border states.
Broader Impacts
State Impacts
Milestones
Referred to the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
2 articles
Rep. Roger Williams introduces bill to reimburse Texas for Operation Lone Star
Rep. Roger Williams introduced a bill that would require the federal government to reimburse Texas for the state's border security operation during the Biden administration. The bill requires the Governor to submit a report of expenses, which DHS then reviews within 120 days for eligibility.
Texas lawmakers get behind Gov. Greg Abbott's $11 billion request for border security reimbursement
State and federal lawmakers from Texas are rallying behind the $11.1 billion reimbursement request. While Republicans call it 'fair and just' for taxpayers, critics continue to question the effectiveness and human rights impact of the multi-billion dollar Operation Lone Star mission.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Operation Lone Star Reimbursement Act
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(11)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.