Texas has ended new funding for its border wall construction along the U.S.-Mexico boundary, marking a major shift in one of Governor Greg Abbott’s signature initiatives launched in 2021. The decision comes after state lawmakers approved a new two-year budget that omits additional allocations for wall expansion, a move that has drawn praise from critics and left existing wall projects to rely on previously approved funds.

Gov. Abbott’s office attributed the funding halt to federal action, stating that under former President Donald Trump, immigration enforcement has intensified—reducing the need for state investment in wall construction.

“Thanks to President Trump’s bold leadership, the federal government is finally fulfilling its obligation to secure the southern border and deport criminal illegal immigrants,” said Abbott spokesman Andrew Mahaleris. “Because of these renewed federal assets in Texas, our state can now adjust aspects of state-funded border security efforts.”

Since Abbott announced the initiative four years ago, Texas has completed 65 miles of the planned wall—far short of the 1,200-mile Texas-Mexico border. Progress has been slowed by the lengthy process of acquiring private land and addressing local resistance. Abbott had originally predicted that combining state-owned land with donations from private landowners would enable the state to build “hundreds of miles” of new barrier.

Critics of the wall say the move to stop new funding was long overdue. “There was no need for it in the first place,” said Scott Nicol, a board member of Friends of the Wildlife Corridor, which works to protect habitat in the Rio Grande Valley. “The only thing that’s changed is the political dynamic.”

While the wall itself won’t see expansion with new money, Texas lawmakers approved $3.4 billion in overall border security spending over the next two years. That money will instead support the Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard under Operation Lone Star, Abbott’s broader immigration enforcement initiative launched during the Biden administration.

The $3.4 billion represents a significant decrease from the $6.5 billion allocated to immigration-related spending in the prior state budget.

Despite the shift, work on the wall is expected to continue using existing funds through 2026. According to Texas Facilities Commission executive director Mike Novak, about $2.5 billion remains available to complete up to 85 more miles of the wall.

Republican Sen. Joan Huffman, the Senate’s lead budget writer, defended the allocation of remaining funds, stating it “will set the federal government up for success.”

Opposition to the wall remains strong among environmental and community groups. “This wall should have never been built, it’s useless,” said Bekah Hinojosa, co-founder of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network. “It divides our community.”

Advocates say the shift in funding is a win for both fiscal responsibility and environmental preservation, though some remain concerned that the redirection of money to security operations could still lead to heightened enforcement efforts in border communities.

Originally reported by Nadia Lathan in ABC News.