Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced key components of the Lone Star state’s plan to build its own barrier along its 1,200-mile border with Mexico at a press conference in Austin on Wednesday, including authorizing $250 million as a down payment to kickstart the process.
The Republican governor said that the funds are being drawn from the state budget, which allocates $1.1 billion towards border security—a record for Texas. The down payment will be used to hire a project manager and contractors for the border wall.
