Abbott meeting with Trump at White House to discuss border issues

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WASHINGTON — Gov. Greg Abbott plans to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday where they will discuss border security, the White House and governor’s office both announced.

Abbott has emerged as one of the president’s biggest allies in hardening the southern border. He used state resources to militarize the border and curb illegal crossings under Operation Lone Star and has since requested the federal government compensate Texas for the program. Texas covers more of the southern border than any other state and spent over $11 billion on Operation Lone Star.

“The burden that our State has borne is a direct result of a refusal by the federal government to do its job,” Abbott wrote in a letter to Congressional leadership last month. “The work that Texas has done through Operation Lone Star has protected and will continue to benefit the entire country.”

Abbott’s press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, said in a statement that the governor planned to discuss with Trump “their continued partnership in securing the southern border and keeping Americans safe.” The meeting will be private in the Oval Office.

Trump gave Abbott a special shout out for Texas’ border efforts during his inauguration. Trump spoke at length from the lectern directly to Abbott, who was in the audience for an informal Inauguration Day address. Trump said Abbott was “a very popular governor and now he's an unbeatable governor” because of his border policies and called Abbott a “leader of the pack.”

In his speech, Trump vowed to help Abbott build more walls on the border and send the military to help with border enforcement. He has since declared an emergency on the border and vowed to deploy military resources for border enforcement. Abbott also gave the Texas National Guard arrest authority at the border.