AUSTIN, TX — Gov. Greg Abbott sent a letter to county judges across Texas on Monday requesting that they send his office an estimate of the fiscal impact of the current “border crisis” on their respective communities.
According to a statement from Abbott’s office, “The State of Texas will use this information to formally request that the federal government pay in full for these costs borne by state and local governments.”
“Securing the border is the federal government’s responsibility, but the current crisis has placed a costly burden on the State of Texas and on our local governments,” reads a portion of Abbott’s letter to the judges. “I have heard from many counties about the challenges they are facing from the surge in illegal border crossings. Several counties have declared local disasters. Other counties have been working around the clock in response to the federal government opening migrant facilities in their counties. I strongly believe that your county, our state, and our fellow Texans should not be forced to shoulder these costs, and that the federal government should reimburse us in full.”
