Cornyn Op-Ed: ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ is a Big Win for Texas on Border Security
September 19, 2025
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) authored the following op-ed in the Austin American-Statesman touting the provision he spearheaded in Washington to reimburse Texas for the billions of taxpayer dollars spent to secure the border during the Biden-Harris administration’s dereliction of duty, which was signed into law as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:
‘Big Beautiful Bill’ is a Big Win for Texas on Border Security
Senator John Cornyn
Austin American-Statesman
September 19, 2025
Throughout the Biden administration, Texas suffered from an unprecedented wave of illegal migration resulting from the president’s failure to secure our southern border. Texas was forced to step up, and Gov. Greg Abbott created Operation Lone Star, a multi-pronged effort to try and secure the border. Earlier this year, Abbott asked Congress to reimburse our state for the $11 billion that he should never have had to spend to keep Texans safe as millions of migrants illegally entered our country.
In response, I began immediately taking steps in the Senate to ensure that this request was fulfilled in President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill. The task was not easy, and the naysayers were many. But Texans have never backed down from a fight, and I am proud to have ultimately secured $13.5 billion for states like Texas to be reimbursed for their border security efforts.
With slim margins in both chambers, getting any priority over the finish line is no simple undertaking. I worked hand-in-glove with Rep. Chip Roy in the House of Representatives to include this funding provision during the House’s amendment process.
In the Senate, the provisions had to be carefully drafted to comply with Senate rules so the item wouldn’t be cut from the legislation by the parliamentarian. Thanks to our diligent and persistent efforts, reimbursement for states like Texas was part of the final text that passed both chambers and was signed by Trump on his deadline of July 4.
Because of this work, the Big Beautiful Bill, now law, will make states like Texas whole from funds spent to mitigate the damage we endured from former President Joe Biden’s reckless border policies. From day one of his administration, Biden and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas refused to enforce the laws on the books, incentivizing millions of migrants to illegally cross the Texas-Mexico border, and precipitating a crisis of historic magnitude.
Texas was left as the last line of defense to stop the human trafficking, drug trafficking and other crimes.
Border security is a federal responsibility, but Abbott stepped up to fill the gap and protect American citizens from Biden’s border betrayal. Operation Lone Star, which led to the apprehension of more than half a million migrants and more than 50,000 criminal arrests, is the best example.
While this operation was incredibly successful at stemming the tide of illegal immigration and trafficking into our state, it cost Texas taxpayers billions of dollars and was necessary only because the federal government failed to keep our borders secure. Now it is only right that the federal government will reimburse Texas for these expenses.
Biden betrayed the American people by his refusal to enforce our immigration laws. But Texas Republicans in Congress refused to stand idly by. I am proud that the Big Beautiful Bill included these important provisions to help right this wrong. The signing of this bill into law marks an important win for the American people, but it is an especially big victory for Texas.
The Lone Star State suffered the worst of the damage from Biden’s border policies. But with the state’s reimbursement on the horizon and Trump at the helm, we are on a path to making Texas taxpayers whole.