After an aggressive state-funded border wall initiative spanning four years, Texas lawmakers have quietly defunded the project. Despite over $3 billion already spent on the effort, only 65 miles (roughly 8%) of the 805 miles identified for construction have been completed, much of it in rural areas where illegal crossings are minimal.
Earlier this month, the Texas Legislature approved $3.4 billion for border security. However, not a single dollar was reportedly allocated to wall construction. Instead, the funds will support the Texas National Guard and Department of Public Safety under Governor Greg Abbott’s (R) Operation Lone Star.
“It’s not that we don’t think it’s an ongoing need to secure the border,” said state Senator Joan Huffman (R), the state Senate’s lead budget writer. “It should have always been a function of the federal government.”
In a statement, Governor Abbott’s spokesperson, Andrew Mahaleris, did not directly comment on the border wall’s future. Instead, Mahaleris emphasized ongoing enforcement efforts, commenting that “Texas will continue to maintain a robust presence with our federal partners to arrest, jail, and deport illegal immigrants.”
Initially championed by Governor Abbott as a bold stand against then-President Joe Biden’s (D) border policies, the effort has faced opposition by landowner resistance and pushback against eminent domain. In the Legislative session, a Republican-backed effort to allow eminent domain was turned down.
The Texas Tribune reports that the wall consists of disconnected segments across six counties, with 24% of property owners rejecting offers to build on their land, blocking 41 miles of planned wall.
Despite early claims that the wall would be a cornerstone of Texas’ border strategy, even Republican lawmakers have begun questioning its future.
“At some point this state must draw a line in the sand,” affirmed state Senator Charles Perry (R). Additionally, state Senator Bob Hall (R) previously questioned whether lawmakers were “spending a whole lot of money to give the appearance of doing something.”
