Cornyn Lauds DOJ for Opening Cornyn-Created Bridging Immigration-Related Deficits Experienced Nationwide (BIDEN) Program

Cornyn Lauds DOJ for Opening Cornyn-Created Bridging Immigration-Related Deficits Experienced Nationwide (BIDEN) Program News Cornyn Lauds DOJ for Opening Cornyn-Created Bridging Immigration-Related Deficits Experienced Nationwide (BIDEN) Program Grants to Reimburse States for Border Security Costs Made Possible Through Cornyn’s Provision Included in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act June 16, 2026 WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) officially opened the Cornyn-created Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide (BIDEN) Program for applications from eligible states. In addition to the nearly $10 billion fund announced earlier this month by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, this $3 billion fund was authorized through a provision led by Sen. Cornyn as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act , also known as the Working Families Tax Cuts Act , which included a total of $13.5 billion in funding to reimburse states like Texas for stepping up during the Biden administration to try and secure the border. “For four years, President Biden’s disastrous open-border policies wreaked havoc on our nation, and no state did more during that time to fill in the gaps to try to protect and defend the southern border than Texas,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I’m glad the Department of Justice has followed through on my reimbursement provision by opening the application process for funding to reimburse states like Texas for the billions of dollars spent to try and secure the border after Joe Biden’s dereliction of this federal responsibility. Coupled with the funding delegated to the Department of Homeland Security, states who pitched in on border security efforts can now apply for reimbursement for costs incurred by their taxpayers during the Biden administration.” Background: Senator Cornyn has led the fight in Washington to secure federal reimbursement for Texas by: Swiftly backing Governor Abbott’s request for Texas to be reimbursed for the taxpayer dollars spent on Operation Lone Star; Calling attention to the ongoing reimbursement effort on the Senate floor ; Meeting with Governor Abbott and members of the Texas congressional delegation to discuss the legislative strategy for the reimbursement push; Holding ongoing meetings and phone calls with Governor Abbott, Senate and House leadership, and congressional colleagues regarding the effort; Leading legislation in the Senate to set aside $13.5 billion in funds to reimburse states for costs they were forced to incur to secure the border as a result of the Biden Administration’s disastrous immigration policies; And led a letter with members of the Texas congressional delegation to the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) urging them to prioritize the release of funds set aside in the One Big Beautiful Bill to reimburse the State of Texas for the more than $11 billion spent on border security efforts. More information on the Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide (BIDEN) Program can be found here . The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is overseeing the remaining $10 billion portion of the border reimbursement funding, which was opened earlier this month .