Four years after Gov. Greg Abbott announced Texas would be the first state to build its own border wall, lawmakers have quietly stopped funding the project, leaving only scattered segments covering a small fraction of the border.
That decision, made in the waning hours of this year’s legislative session, leaves the future of the state wall unclear. Just 8% of the 805 miles the state identified for construction is complete, which has cost taxpayers more than $3 billion to date. The Texas Tribune reported last year that the wall is full of gaps that migrants and smugglers can easily walk around and mostly concentrated on sprawling ranches in rural areas, where illegal border crossings are less likely to occur.
State leaders suggested the federal government could pick up the effort. However, during President Donald Trump’s first term, when wall building was his top priority, his administration completed just 21 miles in Texas — about a third of what the state was able to build over the past four years.
The Tribune reported last year that the state’s wall program would take around 30 years and more than $20 billion to complete.
In early June, lawmakers finalized the state budget, approving $3.4 billion for ongoing border security efforts.
State Sen. Joan Huffman, the state’s lead budget writer, confirmed to The Texas Tribune on Thursday that none of that money will go toward the wall. Instead, the funds will flow largely to the Department of Public Safety and Texas National Guard, the agencies tasked with apprehending migrants under Abbott’s Operation Lone Star.
$3 billion for 65 miles.
Everything’s Grifter In Texas
As a Texan… (suitably embarrassed and chastened…)
Should be stated as “Like everything else, even the grift is bigger in Texas.”
Just ask Elonazi…
Fuck our miserable sordid fetid and festering attempt at a state gov’t.
🤡 🫏 🖕 💩
I’d assume that wall was made of pork, but this is Texas, so it was always a load of bull.
With Trump in the White House and Republicans controlling both houses of Congress, surely Trump will get his wall built, and then he’ll leverage tariffs to make Mexico pay for it, right? LOL.
Anyone with a functioning brain could tell you that it was always stupid, unworkable and pointless
But, Trump voters are fucking idiots, so there you go
I guess mexico isn’t paying for it any more. Taco Tuesday?
Texas governor never really stands for anything.
Perhaps they should hire illegal immigrants to make it cheaper and faster 🤷♂️
C’mon Texas, don’t tell me it’s all Republican theater. You’re strong, bullish, rebels, lead the charge and pave the way for SCROTUS
🎉🥳🎈🍾🪅