Greg Abbott continues border emergency declarations despite Trump administration claiming border is secure

Texas Governor Greg Abbott maintains an ongoing border disaster proclamation, renewing it 21 times under President Donald Trump despite federal data showing illegal crossings dropped to an average of 8,000 monthly. Using emergency disaster powers, Abbott bypasses legislative oversight to shift state funds and grant no-bid contracts, including over $5 million awarded by Texas agencies. Simultaneously, the U.S. military commands 8,000 border troops amid cross-border operations with Mexico.

Texas border security disaster proclamations

• ▪Texas Governor Greg Abbott has renewed or amended the Texas-Mexico border security disaster proclamation at least 69 times since 2021, including 21 renewals during President Donald Trump's tenure.
• ▪Texas Governor Greg Abbott renewed a border security disaster proclamation, declaring that illegal crossings posed an ongoing and imminent threat across Texas.
• ▪Texas Deputy Press Secretary Madeline Waschak stated that four years of failed border policies under Democrat rule did not disappear overnight and securing the border requires continued vigilance.

Texas state border security spending and contracts

• ▪Texas state lawmakers allotted $3 billion for border security in 2025 and provided Texas Governor Greg Abbott's office nearly $230 million to distribute through local grant programs for Operation Lone Star.
• ▪Texas Democratic State Representative Mary González stated that state legislators from both parties have begun interest in scaling back state border security appropriations during the upcoming legislative session.
• ▪Texas Governor Greg Abbott has utilized executive orders and emergency disaster declarations to shift funds, suspend regulations, and award noncompetitive state contracts without state legislative approval.
• ▪The Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Military Department awarded over $5 million in noncompetitive border enforcement contracts, including a $2 million contract to CTC Gunworks LLC for firearms.

Assessments of border security effectiveness

• ▪Border Patrol acting deputy chief patrol agent Joel Garcia stated that decreased traffic, drug seizures, and apprehensions demonstrate the effectiveness of U.S. border security operations along the Rio Grande.
• ▪Syracuse University public health professor Dessa Bergen-Cico noted that low street prices for cocaine and fentanyl suggest the flow of illicit drugs into the United States remains unimpeded.
• ▪The Trump administration reported that migrant flow across the border reached historic lows after dropping to an average of about 8,000 monthly apprehensions along the southwest border in 2026.

Military deployments and operations on the border

• ▪U.S. Coast Guard personnel deployed along the Rio Grande near Garceno, Texas, encountered gunfire originating from the Mexican side of the river and returned fire without sustaining injuries.
• ▪University of San Diego political science professor David Shirk stated that the Trump administration's military troop deployments on the border serve to remind voters of aggressive border security actions.
• ▪The U.S. Army commands approximately 8,000 troops along the U.S.-Mexico border, expanding operations alongside the U.S. Coast Guard to support the U.S. Border Patrol.
• ▪Mexico deployed 500 National Guard and military officers to Tamaulipas, utilizing two UH-60 helicopters, drones, and anti-drone equipment to prevent illegal trafficking in coordination with U.S. forces.