Sarah Hicks, budget director for Gov. Greg Abbott’s office, said the state has entered into contracts for border barriers totaling more than $900 million. That includes the state-funded border wall, as well as fencing along private lands and concertina wire to deter migrants from crossing into the country outside normal ports of entry. That funding came from about $1 billion in state money appropriated to the governor’s office in 2021 for border security efforts, as well as $55 million raised in private donations — mostly from one billionaire in Wyoming.

Hicks said the governor’s office has heard concerns that the state is moving too slowly to build the wall but added that much of that delay has come from the Texas Facilities Commission, which is in charge of the process of negotiating with private landowners for use of their land. Now, she said, the commission has identified the land for the project and could move to build faster if the Legislature approves additional funding.

“If the Legislature funds a next installment, they are working ahead to hit the ground running on that in the next biennium,” Hicks said.

Senate budget leaders also praised Abbott’s efforts to bus migrants who had been released by federal immigration authorities into border towns after being processed. Those migrants are sometimes stuck in those cities before they can find the money to travel to another city or can secure transportation from nonprofit organizations who help migrants. Last April, Abbott began busing migrants to Democrat-led cities he said were magnets for migrants. The program, which is voluntary, now sends buses to New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Philadelphia.

This article was written by JAMES BARRAGÁN of The Texas Tribune.  The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them – about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.  This article originally appeared at:https://www.texastribune.org/2023/02/03/texas-border-security-spending/