Urging the federal government to take immediate action in addressing issues related to security at the border.
Summary
SCR 39 is a Senate Concurrent Resolution expressing the Texas Legislature’s view that federal border security policy has been inadequate and has allowed transnational cartels, illegal immigration, and fentanyl trafficking to worsen along the southern border. The resolution states that these failures have endangered Texans, forced the state to spend substantial resources on border enforcement, and justified Texas’s continued use of Operation Lone Star and other state-led security measures.
The resolution also praises the Trump administration’s stated commitment to stronger border enforcement and frames Texas as willing to partner with the federal government on border security. It urges immediate federal action, including greater support for state initiatives, and directs the Texas Secretary of State to send copies of the resolution to federal officials and request that it be entered into the Congressional Record.
Impact
SCR 39 does not amend the Texas Government Code or create new regulatory requirements; instead, it is a nonbinding legislative statement and federal policy appeal. Its practical effect is political and symbolic: it formally records the Legislature’s criticism of prior federal border policy, supports continued state border enforcement efforts, and calls for reimbursement or federal assistance related to Texas’s border-security spending. The resolution primarily affects the state’s relationship with federal authorities and reinforces support for state agencies, the National Guard, and border-security operations such as Operation Lone Star.
Sentiment
The overall sentiment in the bill text and available legislative history is strongly supportive of tougher border enforcement and strongly critical of the Biden administration’s border policies. The resolution passed the committee on a 4-1 vote, indicating broad but not unanimous support. The available record does not include detailed floor debate or committee testimony, but the vote suggests the measure was generally favored by committee members aligned with border-security priorities.
Contention
The main point of contention is the resolution’s partisan framing of border policy, including its explicit criticism of the Biden administration and praise for the Trump administration. Supporters appear to view the measure as a necessary response to cartel activity, fentanyl trafficking, and the financial burden placed on Texas, while the dissenting vote likely reflects disagreement with the resolution’s political tone, its attribution of blame to federal policy, or its endorsement of state-led border enforcement strategies. Another likely area of dispute is the call for federal reimbursement of Texas border-security costs, which raises questions about federal responsibility and state-federal authority.
Declaring an invasion of the State of Texas by transnational cartel terrorists; urging the Governor to accelerate construction of a wall along the southern border; urging the U.S. Congress to deploy military forces.
State Border Security Reimbursement Act of 2025 This bill requires the federal government to reimburse eligible states for their border security expenses.To be eligible, a state must have expended more than $2.5 billion on border security and enforcement in the 10 years before this bill's enactment. If such a state provides by a certain deadline an accounting of all of its nonfederally funded border security expenses, the federal government must reimburse the full amount.