AUSTIN — The future of Texas’ multibillion-dollar border enforcement program is emerging as a major divide in the 2026 governor’s race, with Republican Gov. Greg Abbott defending its continuation and Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa criticizing its cost and political use. Abbott launched Operation Lone Star in 2021, two months into former President Joe Biden’s administration, arguing that Texas needed to take a larger role in border enforcement, a responsibility generally led by the federal government. The program remains active. Texas has spent more than $11 billion on border security efforts so far, according to state figures cited in the campaign debate. A federal law passed by Congress in 2025 created two funds totaling $13.5 billion to reimburse states for border enforcement costs. Abbott said last month that the Department of Homeland Security had approved $7.5 billion for Texas. The state is seeking another $3 billion from the Justice Department, and Abbott said he expects negotiations to recover 75% of the remaining funds, potentially bringing the total near $10 billion. At an Oct. 2 event at the governor’s mansion, where he proclaimed October Law Enforcement Appreciation Month, Abbott said future funding should support both border security and affordability for Texans. “We’ve got to craft what our strategy is going to be for the next four years and make sure that is funded in addition to ensuring that Texas taxpayers are going to get relief,” he said. Abbott has argued that Texas should maintain its border role, citing what he described as increased activity along the border. Roughly 500 federal troops were sent to the Texas-Mexico border after a Sept. 26 shooting involving the Coast Guard near Garceno. A Coast Guard spokesperson said someone on the Mexican side fired at personnel during joint interdiction operations in the Rio Grande; the Coast Guard returned fire, and no injuries or damage were reported. Hinojosa, a state representative from Brownsville, has called Operation Lone Star a waste of taxpayer money and accused Abbott of using it for political theater. She voted against an approximately $1.8 billion initial appropriation for the program during a 2021 special legislative session. Her campaign did not provide a specific answer when asked whether she would continue the operation or how she would secure the border if elected. In May, Hinojosa criticized Abbott for not doing enough to obtain federal reimbursements and said the money should go to Texans. She has also credited President Donald Trump and his administration with reducing border encounters, while criticizing Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Texas. “I want a secure border, but what is happening with these ICE raids is making us less secure, not more,” she said this week on Meet the Press NOW. The competing positions leave key questions about the program’s future unresolved, including how much of its costs will ultimately be repaid by the federal government and what Hinojosa would do with the state operation if she becomes governor.