Following its passage by the Texas House last Friday, the $337 billion biennial budget, Senate Bill 1, has entered the reconciliation phase, drawing criticism for prioritizing border security over pressing needs like prison infrastructure upgrades or education and childcare investments. Supporters claim the Texas House budget reflects the state’s economic strength and conservative priorities.
Critics Target Operation Lone Star’s Continued Funding
Opponents, including civil rights advocates and several House Democrats, warn that the budget advances a political agenda that prioritizes border militarization over essential services like education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
“SB 1 extends a costly and unconstitutional attempt to do a job that legally belongs to the federal government,” said Rochelle Garza, President of the Texas Civil Rights Project. “Texas families shouldn’t have to pay for elected officials trying to score political points to build their partisan profiles.”
At the center of the controversy is a whopping $6.5 billion allocation for “border security”—an umbrella term that includes Operation Lone Star, a state-run initiative launched in 2021 that has funneled billions into arresting migrants, deploying National Guard troops, and expanding detention infrastructure.
Lawmakers supporting the funding argue it’s a necessary response to federal inaction on immigration enforcement. Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick have doubled down on the message that “Texas will fill the gap,” even if critics accuse the state of creating a shadow immigration system.
But civil liberties groups say the bill blurs legal lines and wastes public dollars. The Texas Civil Rights Project points out that the budget continues to expand state law enforcement authority into a federal domain—something courts have repeatedly scrutinized.
Among the spending red flags cited:
- Funding to expand migrant detention and prosecution outside of the federal system.
- New investments into “child prisons” and expanded military presence at the southern border.
- Allocation of resources to legal “gray zones” where due process rights are uncertain or ignored.
“If this budget were actually about safety, we’d be investing in schools, emergency response, healthcare, and infrastructure,” Garza added. “Instead, we’re watching billions evaporate into barbed wire, military contracts, and arrests that do nothing to fix a broken federal system.”
Meanwhile, the Texas House Democratic Caucus blasted Republicans for pushing a budget that favors “bailouts and extremism” instead of real affordability solutions. In their words, SB 1 prioritizes “Trump tariffs, culture wars, and corporate tax loopholes,” while Democrats offered dozens of amendments focused on child care, emergency rental assistance, Medicaid expansion, and teacher housing affordability.
“The budget amendments proposed by Democrats reflect our commitment to create a Texas that works for Texans — not the wealthy elite, not out-of-state corporations, and not special interests,” said House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu.
Several floor amendments offered by Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos and Rep. John Bryant sought to redirect border security funds toward teacher pay raises, rental assistance, and child care infrastructure. Reps. Yvonne Davis and Gene Wu also advocated for amendments to limit unaccountable state spending on border enforcement, but most of these were voted down along party lines.
Another amendment by Rep. Bryant sought to redirect the border security funds to adequately funding upgrades to the Texas prisons to withstand extreme heat during the summer.
Continued Failure to Address Extreme Heat in Texas Prisons
Despite growing concerns over extreme heat in Texas prisons, the Legislature has once again failed to allocate sufficient funding for comprehensive air conditioning upgrades. Only about one-third of the state’s prison units are fully air-conditioned, leaving tens of thousands of inmates in facilities where summer temperatures routinely exceed 100°F.
Despite growing concerns over extreme heat in Texas prisons, the Legislature has once again failed to allocate sufficient funding for comprehensive air conditioning upgrades. Only about one-third of the state’s prison units are fully air-conditioned, leaving tens of thousands of inmates in facilities where summer temperatures routinely exceed 100°F.
A 2022 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that approximately 13% of deaths in Texas prisons without air conditioning during warm months could be attributed to extreme heat, equating to an average of 14 heat-related deaths per year.
In March 2025, a federal judge ruled that the extreme heat in Texas prisons is “plainly unconstitutional,” acknowledging that the conditions likely violate inmates’ Eighth Amendment rights against cruel and unusual punishment.
During the current legislative session, the Texas House proposed $545 million for prison air conditioning, but the more conservative Senate offered nothing.
Advocates and former inmates have long decried the conditions, with some describing the experience as being “cooked alive.”
What’s Next?
Though the Republican majority ultimately rejected most amendments, House Democrats say they will continue pressing for a more balanced approach as the budget moves to the conference committee.
The budget is now going to the conference committee with Lt. Governor Dan Patrick foregoing tradition with a partisan selection of conferees and the House selecting two Democrats from the House Appropriations Committee as part of their five conferees, where they will hash out the final budget. Reconciliation is expected in the coming weeks. Whether House amendments survive the process remains to be seen.
