Governor Abbott took major action in 2025 to secure the southern border — giving Texans the freedom to live secure and prosperous lives.
1. Operation Lone Star’s Ongoing Success
As of May 2025, Operation Lone Star has led to over 533,400 illegal immigrant apprehensions and more than 53,900 criminal arrests, with more than 45,400 felony charges.
Launched in 2021, Operation Lone Star — a joint operation between the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard — is coming up on its fifth anniversary. Its purpose: to secure the border; to stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas; and to prevent and detect transnational criminal activity between ports of entry.
2. Governor Abbott Secured Border Reimbursement from the Federal Government
At the start of 2025, Governor Abbott sent letters to U.S. Congressional leadership and to the entire Congressional delegation requesting that the federal government reimburse Texas for more than $11.1 billion in Texas taxpayer money spent to secure the border — a border that was left defenseless due to former President Joe Biden’s reckless open border policies.
In a major victory for the entire state, President Trump responded by designating $12 billion in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” to repay Texas for its efforts to stop unprecedented illegal immigration in Texas. The reconciliation package was signed into law on July 4, 2025.
3. Governor Abbott Signed Two Key Border Security Laws
In June 2025, Governor Abbott signed into law Senate Bills 8 and 36 — major legislation that will boost Texas’ coordinated border security efforts with the federal government and which established the Homeland Security Division within the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Both laws create a pathway for greater safety in Texas communities than ever before. They also underscore Texas’ continued, successful coordination with the Trump Administration to protect the state — and the entire nation — from the dire threats posed by illegal immigration.
4. Texas Apprehended 31 Illegal Immigrant Drivers in Panhandle
November marked a major moment in Texas’ fight to undo the damage done by the Biden Administration and to secure the Texas-Mexico border. On November 19, 2025, Governor Abbott announced the apprehension of 31 illegal immigrant drivers along I-40.
On November 11, Texas Department of Public Safety commercial vehicle enforcement troopers identified 31 individuals with suspicious commercial driver licenses. Those individuals were referred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement to have their legal presence verified. It was ultimately determined that all 31 individuals were in the country illegally — with a majority of these individuals licensed in California, and not one licensed in Texas.