Who Pays for the Crackdown?

ICE arrested 25 workers at two Texas construction sites. Zero employers charged. Texas spent $11 billion on Operation Lone Star. Now the federal bill asks Texans to pay again. Full receipts on the sources page.

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RECEIPTS (the sources behind this episode): • ICE Rio Grande Valley conducts worksite enforcement operation resulting in 25...: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-rio-grande-valley-conducts-worksite-enforcement-operation-resulting-25-arrests • 'Big Beautiful Bill' could reimburse Texas for billions spent on border secur...: https://www.fox7austin.com/news/big-beautiful-bill-texas-border-reimbursement • 2026 Sample Ballot: https://www.sos.texas.gov/elections/forms/2026-sample-ballot.pdf • Gov. Greg Abbott's Operation Lone Star has cost Texas $11 billion so far: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2024/10/20/operation-lone-star-greg-abbott-border-security-plan-texas-cost/ • Texas Wants $11 Billion Back From the Government - Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/texas-wants-11-billion-back-government-2020125 • Texas Gov. Seeks $11 Billion Reimbursement for Border Security: https://www.governing.com/finance/texas-gov-seeks-11-billion-reimbursement-for-border-security • H.R. 1: The One Big Beautiful Bill Act – Immigration Provision Summary: https://iaproject.org/cdn/resources/fact-sheets/H.R.1_The_One_Big_Beautiful_Bill_ActImmigration_Provision_Summary.pdf • The One Big Beautiful Bill Act: Immigration Provision Summary (As Amended): https://iaproject.org/cdn/resources/fact-sheets/The_One_Big_Beautiful_Bill_Act__Immigration_Provision_Summary_As_Amended.pdf • Overview Under the Detention Reengineering Initiative (DRI), U.S. Immigration...: https://iptp-production.s3.amazonaws.com/media/documents/2026.02.13_ICE_-_Detention_Reengineering_Initiative.pdf • Enrolled Bill Summary: https://capitol.texas.gov/billlookup/BillSummary.aspx?Bill=SB8&LegSess=89R • 89(R) SB 8 - Senate Committee Report version - Bill Text: https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/SB00008S.htm • The Economic Impact of Immigrants on Texas’ Food Industry: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/texas_agriculture_report.pdf • New Report Shows Immigrant Texans Held are Vital to the Food and Agriculture...: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/press-release/new-report-texas-agriculture/ • fwd.us (PDF): https://www.fwd.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Texas-construction.pdf • ICE Laredo, federal partners arrest 31 illegal aliens during a 1-day targeted...: https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/ice-laredo-federal-partners-arrest-31-illegal-aliens-during-1-day-targeted-worksite • ICE Raid at McAllen, Texas ropa usada warehouse Rio Grande Valley Business Jo...: https://www.rgvbusinessjournal.com/news/03/10/2025/ice-raid-at-mcallen-warehouse-raises-concerns-about-local-workforce-leaves-families-in-limbo/ • ICE charges Texas bakery owners with harboring immigrants: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/02/20/texas-immigrants-los-fresnos-rio-grande-valley-bakery-raid-harboring/ • Trump has promised to restart workplace immigration raids. What does that mea...: https://www.kut.org/texas/2025-01-17/trump-has-promised-to-restart-workplace-immigration-raids-what-does-that-mean-for-texas • congress.gov: https://www.congress.gov/119/bills/hr1/BILLS-119hr1rh.htm • budget.house.gov (PDF): https://budget.house.gov/imo/media/doc/one_big_beautiful_bill_act_-_full_bill_text.pdf • Operation Lone Star: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Lone_Star • Immigrants’ Contributions to the Construction Industry: https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/council_empowering_texas_-_immigrants_contributions_to_the_construction_industry_2024.pdf • United States Senate election in Texas, 2026 - Ballotpedia: https://ballotpedia.org/United%5FStates%5FSenate%5Felection%5Fin%5FTexas,%5F2026 • Abbott (on screen at 2m37s): https://myrgv.com/local-news/2021/03/09/in-valley-for-border-tour-gov-abbott-touts-multi-agency-operation-targeting-smuggling/ • Governor Abbott Provides Update On State Response To Humanitarian Crisis At S... (on screen at 2m52s): https://texasborderbusiness.com/governor-abbott-provides-update-on-state-response-to-humanitarian-crisis-at-southern-border/ • Operation Lone Star On U.S. Border (on screen at 3m28s): https://www.nurphoto.com/photo/11275056 • Trump signs his tax and spending cut bill at the White House July 4 picnic (on screen at 4m33s): https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/associated-press/trump-signs-his-tax-and-spending-cut-bill-at-the-white-house-july-4-picnic/