Texas Halts Border Wall Funding After Building 8% of Project

Texas lawmakers have halted new state funding for the U.S.-Mexico border wall, four years after Gov. Greg Abbott initiated the project, which completed only about 65 miles of the proposed 805 miles and cost over $3 billion. The decision reflects a strategic shift, with $3.4 billion now allocated to broader border security efforts, including support for the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard under Operation Lone Star, rather than further wall construction. Abbott's office credited renewed federal efforts under President Donald Trump’s administration to secure the border and deport undocumented immigrants as a key factor enabling Texas to adjust its state-funded border security priorities. While new funding ends, approximately $2.5 billion in previously allocated funds remain available to finish up to 85 additional miles of the wall by 2026. Challenges such as land acquisition difficulties, opposition from private landowners and local communities, and environmental concerns had slowed wall construction, which critics argue is ineffective and incomplete. This budget change signals a pivot from a costly, fragmented physical barrier toward enforcement-focused strategies amid declining migrant crossings and increased federal involvement.