Texas has halted funding for its border wall initiative, a project championed by Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott that now faces an uncertain future. Just sixty-five miles, a mere 8% of the planned barrier, stands completed after taxpayers invested over $3 billion.

State lawmakers quietly eliminated the project’s funding as the legislative session wrapped up last month, suggesting border security should fall to federal authorities. During President Donald Trump’s first term, federal efforts yielded only twenty-one miles of wall in Texas, significantly less than what the state managed over four years.

The state budget, finalized in early June, directs $3.4 billion toward border security operations. None of this money, however, will support wall construction. Funds will instead flow to the Department of Public Safety and Texas National Guard as part of Operation Lone Star, which focuses primarily on migrant apprehension.

“It should have always been a function of the federal government, in my opinion, and that wasn’t really being done,” said Texas Republican State Senator Joan Huffman, the lead budget writer for the chamber.

Despite the funding cutoff, Abbott’s office maintains that Texas will continue working alongside federal partners to address illegal immigration. The Texas Facilities Commission, which is responsible for wall construction, reports having sufficient remaining funds to complete approximately eighty-three miles of barrier, though no new projects can begin without additional appropriations.

Construction has not been smooth. Many landowners have refused to allow the wall on their property, creating significant gaps in coverage. The legislature has prohibited using eminent domain for the project, further complicating matters.

The resulting barrier consists of disconnected segments, most located in rural areas where illegal crossings happen less frequently. Federal plans regarding wall continuation remain unclear.