The President of the United States, Donald Trump, issued a warning to the incoming Democratic government of Texas regarding border security with Mexico and stated that he will maintain his immigration policy if the new state authorities choose to diverge from the measures implemented during the Republican administration of Greg Abbott.
During a conversation with journalists, captured in a video released this Thursday by the White House, Trump was asked about the possibility of bolstering federal presence at the border in light of a potential withdrawal of state forces under the elected governor, Gina Hinojosa.
“I am confident that the new governor will want to maintain security at this Texas border,” the official responded, in an initial reaction aimed at conveying assurance that the Democrat will uphold border controls.
Trump also defended the results of his Administration regarding immigration and stated that residents of border communities have experienced a significant improvement compared to the government of Joe Biden.
"Two days ago, there were people on television saying it's like living in heaven compared to living in hell when Biden was in office," he stated.
The president concluded his response with a warning about the continuation of his security measures.
“I am sure they will continue with my policies and, if they do not continue with my policies, I will do it myself,” Trump stated.
These strong statements come after Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott in Tuesday's elections, ending more than three decades of Republican leadership in Texas.
Hinojosa, the state representative and the first Latina woman elected to govern Texas, will take office in January 2027.
Until then, Abbott remains at the head of the state Executive and retains his powers over the resources allocated for border security.
Despite the harshness of Trump's words, the elected governor has not confirmed that she will immediately withdraw the National Guard or the rest of the state personnel deployed at the border.
Although he has criticized the cost and management of Abbott's migration operations, he has not yet announced a definitive plan regarding the continuation of those deployments.
In previous statements before the elections, Hinojosa questioned why Texas had allocated billions of dollars to detain and prosecute migrants, a policy he considers excessively costly with questionable results.
However, she also stated that she is willing to allocate the necessary resources to ensure the safety of border communities.
"Public safety should not be a political maneuver," asserted the Democrat, who claimed she would spend what is necessary to protect the population, but not to finance what she considers a political spectacle.
The main point of conflict is the Operation Lone Star, an initiative launched by Abbott in 2021 to strengthen border surveillance between Texas and Mexico.
The program includes deployments of the Texas National Guard, agents from the state Department of Public Safety, physical barriers, operations against human and drug trafficking, and collaboration with federal immigration authorities.
Since its inception, the operation has required more than 11 billion dollars in state resources, according to budget statements and information published about the program.
Abbott's administration has also utilized emergency declarations at the border to maintain certain deployments and obtain extraordinary powers in matters of security.
With Trump's return to the White House in January 2025, Texas intensified collaboration between its state forces and federal agencies responsible for immigration enforcement.
Abbott authorized National Guard personnel to participate in certain immigration detention tasks and deployed tactical units to work alongside Border Patrol agents as part of a joint effort to prevent irregular crossings.
Hinojosa's victory now introduces a political change in one of the states that has allocated the most resources to strengthen Republican immigration policies.
The new governor has defended a review of the spending and the functioning of Operation Lone Star, although this position does not equate to a formal decision to dismantle the program or withdraw all of its personnel.
The Democratic victory in Texas has also caused tensions within the Republican Party. After the election results were announced, Trump lashed out at Greg Abbott and blamed him for his defeat against Hinojosa.
In a post on Truth Social, the president accused the outgoing governor of having become a Republican In Name Only (RINO) and claimed that this alleged political shift had cost him reelection.
The official stated that Abbott had abandoned the political formula that previously allowed him to win elections, although he did not specify which particular decisions prompted that accusation.
The Republican defeat in Texas also included the victory of Democrat James Talarico over Ken Paxton in the race for a federal Senate seat, another outcome that ended decades of Republican dominance in major state elections.
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