President Donald Trump said Thursday he will continue enforcing his administration’s border security policies in Texas if Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa moves to reverse outgoing Gov. Greg Abbott’s immigration crackdown.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump was asked whether he would bolster federal enforcement if the new governor withdrew state personnel. “I am sure that the new governor is going to want to have security on this Texas border,” he replied. He added that border residents have described conditions as “living in heaven compared to living in hell when Biden was there,” then stated: “And I’m sure they’ll continue my policy. And if they don’t continue my policies, I will.”
Hinojosa, a Democratic state representative from Austin who grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, defeated Abbott in Tuesday’s midterm election, becoming Texas’ first Latina governor and the first Democrat elected to the office since Ann Richards. She is scheduled to take office in January 2027. During the campaign she criticized Abbott’s Operation Lone Star, which has cost the state more than $11 billion since 2021 and includes state National Guard deployments, barriers, and cooperation with federal immigration authorities. She has called the program political theater while saying she supports a secure border and has credited Trump for reducing illegal crossings.
Hinojosa has not detailed specific plans for Operation Lone Star or state-federal cooperation. In campaign statements she said she would “never offer up Texas as a staging ground for operations that terrorize families,” and she has opposed certain ICE tactics and family detentions under Abbott. She has also acknowledged that crossings are down under Trump.
Abbott’s administration made border security a central priority through repeated emergency declarations and state-led operations. Federal agencies, including Border Patrol and ICE, retain primary authority over immigration enforcement regardless of state policy.
No immediate changes to federal operations have been announced. Hinojosa’s transition team has focused so far on broader governing priorities including education and bipartisanship.
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