Washington just unleashed a legislative tidal wave that throws billions at border security, green lights state-level immigration crackdowns, and expects you to believe this is what “commonsense reform” looks like—while the left howls about “humanitarian needs” and the American taxpayer keeps footing the bill.
At a Glance
- The One Big Beautiful Bill Act funds $12 billion in state-level immigration enforcement and border security reimbursements.
- Border Patrol hiring, high-tech barriers, and new operational partnerships are at the center of the new strategy.
- Apprehensions at the southwest border have dropped a staggering 93% in the past year.
- The bill empowers states to take the lead in immigration enforcement, with Texas first in line for federal reimbursement.
Billions for Border Security, But Not a Dime for “Humanitarian” Programs
Congress rammed through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and the non-tax provisions targeting border security and illegal immigration are breathtaking in both scope and price tag. States like Texas finally get a break: $12 billion in fresh funds for border-related enforcement, with most of it headed straight to reimburse “Operation Lone Star”—the massive state-run effort that, until now, had Texas taxpayers eating the cost of federal inaction. At the same time, grants for “urgent humanitarian needs” of newly-arrived migrants were not only paused, but the administration is proposing to eliminate them entirely next year. Apparently, the message is clear: If you want federal help, you’d better be stopping illegals, not subsidizing them.
🚨 BREAKING: Once Trump signs the “Big Beautiful Bill,” immigration enforcement will have the 3rd largest budget on Earth; bigger than Russia, India, the UK, and Japan combined.
This is a militarized purge machine, funded at $170B.
The U.S. is now spending more to chase…
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) July 3, 2025
Even the bill’s most controversial provisions—like letting state and local cops arrest anyone they “suspect” is here illegally—were kept alive, thanks to some Washington lawyer-speak that supposedly brings it in line with “existing statute.” The bottom line: The feds are finally putting their money where their mouth is, and the open-borders crowd is left sputtering about rules and rights while the rest of us breathe a sigh of relief.
Watch a report: What’s in Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’?
Border Security is Now a State Sport—With Washington Paying the Referees
For years, border states pleaded for help as the federal government twiddled its thumbs. Now, with the stroke of a pen and a mountain of cash, the new law creates a “State Border Security Reinforcement Fund” worth $10 billion, plus $3.5 billion more for local governments to cover detention and criminal prosecutions. The catch? These funds cover actions dating back to January 2021, which means Texas—having already spent $11 billion policing the border—will finally get a federal check for its trouble. It’s about time Washington stopped handing out blank checks to sanctuary cities and started rewarding those actually defending the border.
These aren’t just empty gestures, either. The law mandates new border barriers, ramps up Border Patrol hiring, and injects cash into high-tech surveillance and rapid response operations. The Department of Homeland Security isn’t just “studying” the problem, it’s being told to execute—now. And with the new law’s explicit call for “full operational control,” there’s no more hiding behind bureaucratic excuses for catch-and-release chaos.
Illegal Immigration Plummets as Enforcement Gets Teeth
Results are already showing. Between April 2024 and April 2025, apprehensions at the southwest border cratered by 93%. That’s not a typo. CBP’s new focus on “at entry” and “at large” control, plus partnerships with state and local law enforcement, means the days of waltzing across the border and vanishing into the interior are over. The most ambitious example—Operational Tidal Wave in Florida—saw 1,120 criminal noncitizens arrested in a single week, the highest ever in ICE’s history. The majority were already wanted for violent crimes, gang activity, or worse. This is the kind of action Americans have demanded for years, but only now—when states are given the tools and Washington is forced to get out of their way—is it actually happening.
