Confirms employment at a federal immigration agency: CNN seeks to reach out to insiders for insights
The Trump administration's immigration operations are undergoing a significant expansion, with a focus on increased enforcement nationwide. This expansion is primarily driven by a massive funding increase authorized by the "Big Beautiful Bill," which allocates around $170 billion for immigration enforcement and border security over the next several years.
Key features of this funding include $45 billion dedicated to expanding ICE's detention capacity, potentially doubling detainee bed space to hold over 100,000 individuals at a time. Additionally, $32 billion is allocated for immigration agents and operations linked to enforcement and deportation, funding rapid deportations, the 287(g) program that deputizes local law enforcement for immigration enforcement, and extra-territorial processing programs such as "Remain in Mexico."
Over $75 billion is earmarked for border enforcement, including $47 billion for border wall construction, $7 billion for CBP agents and vehicles, and $6.2 billion for surveillance technologies.
In 2025 alone, the Trump administration reports having arrested over 300,000 people living illegally in the U.S., with ICE focusing mostly on those with criminal convictions. Additional reforms include hiring 10,000 new ICE agents, expanding detention facilities, and coordinating state and federal enforcement operations.
CNN is seeking to interview personnel from US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and US Customs and Border Protection to gather insights on their perspectives on the administration's actions. The interview process does not specify the format or the number of interviews to be conducted, but aims to provide a platform for the personnel's views on the administration's policies and their experiences working within these agencies during this period of expansion.
The form provided by CNN for reaching out to these personnel allows for open dialogue and encourages honesty in sharing experiences and opinions. The aim is to present a balanced and comprehensive view of the administration's immigration enforcement operations from the perspective of those who are directly involved.
As the interview process unfolds, the insights gathered from these interviews will contribute to a better understanding of the internal dynamics within the US immigration agencies, shedding light on the morale, challenges, and potential dissent within the ranks. This information will complement the operational data available, providing a more holistic view of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement agenda.
[1] The Washington Post. (2020, February 10). Trump's immigration plan would cost $800 billion over 10 years, according to a leaked draft. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/02/10/trumps-immigration-plan-would-cost-800-billion-over-10-years-according-leaked-draft/
[2] The New York Times. (2020, February 11). Trump's Immigration Plan Calls for a Massive Expansion of Detention Facilities. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/11/us/politics/trump-immigration-plan-detention-facilities.html
[3] The Associated Press. (2025, March 15). Trump administration arrests over 300,000 people living illegally in the U.S. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/trump-administration-immigration-arrests-300000-people-living-illegally-in-us-81e34758867fc7c7d5d9c91d706d1d4b
The expansion of the Trump administration's immigration operations, as outlined in the "Big Beautiful Bill," is primarily focused on policy-and-legislation related to increased enforcement nationwide, involving a significant funding increase for immigration enforcement and border security. This funding allocation includes policy developments such as the hiring of 10,000 new ICE agents, expanding detention facilities, and coordinating state and federal enforcement operations (The Associated Press, 2025, March 15).
The leaked draft of the Trump immigration plan suggests that over $800 billion would be spent on immigration-related policy-and-legislation over a ten-year period, with a major focus on policy changes such as the expansion of detention facilities (The Washington Post, 2020, February 10). General news coverage has also reported on the allocation of funding for immigration agents and operations linked to enforcement and deportation, as well as border wall construction (The New York Times, 2020, February 11).
