Senator John Cornyn (R) announced that the Department of Justice has opened applications for a new $3 billion federal reimbursement program designed to repay states like Texas for border security costs incurred during the Biden administration.
What is the BIDEN Program?
The Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide (BIDEN) Program was created by legislation authorized by Cornyn and provides $3 billion to reimburse states for taxpayer dollars spent on border security efforts during the Biden administration.
The DOJ-administered fund is part of a larger $13.5 billion reimbursement package approved by Congress through the One Big Beautiful Act, also known as the Working Families Tax Cuts Act.
How much funding is available?
The newly opened DOJ program makes $3 billion available to eligible states.
An additional $10 billion reimbursement fund is being administered separately by the Department of Homeland Security and was opened for applications earlier this month.
Together, the two programs provide a total of $13.5 billion in federal funding for states that undertook border enforcement efforts they argue were necessary because of' federal immigration policies.
What Cornyn is saying
Sen. John Cornyn: "For four years, President Biden's disastrous open-border policies wreaked havoc on our nation, and no state did more during that time to fill in the gaps to try to protect and defend the southern border than Texas."
Sen. Cornyn continued: "States who pitched in on border security efforts can now apply for reimbursement for costs incurred by their taxpayers during the Biden administration."
Why Texas is expected to benefit?
Texas spent billions of dollars on border security initiatives, including Operation Lone Star during the Biden administration.
According to Cornyn's office, Texas spent more than $11 billion on border security efforts and is expected to seek reimbursement through both federal programs.
The Bottom Line
The Department of Justice has officially opened applications for the $3 billion BIDEN Program, giving Texas and other eligible states access to federal reimbursement funds for border security expenses. Combined with a separate DHS-administered program, states can now apply for a share of $13.5 billion approved by Congress.
