Increased Deportations Promised by DHS Secretary Noem, With Enhanced Funding Granted from Trump's Domestic Policy Legislation
President Donald Trump's recently signed domestic policy bill, often referred to as the "big, beautiful bill" (BBB), has significantly reshaped the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its agencies, particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The BBB provides a massive funding boost for immigration enforcement, marking the largest federal investment in immigration enforcement to date.
The bill allocates approximately $170 billion for immigration enforcement and border security. ICE, in particular, will receive a substantial portion of this funding. $45 billion is dedicated specifically to expanding ICE’s detention system over four years, aiming to nearly double ICE's capacity from about 41,500 beds to holding more than 100,000 detainees daily, including single adults and families. This funding also provides for the construction of new detention centers, including facilities for families, contributing to a 265% increase in ICE's detention budget.
In addition to increased detention capacity, ICE's enforcement and deportation operations will see a tripling of their annual budget, with $29.9 billion targeted for these operations. The legislation also funds the hiring of 10,000 new ICE agents, potentially expanding enforcement capacity significantly to potentially reach 1 million deportations per year. ICE agents are also granted a $10,000 bonus annually for four years as part of the legislation.
The BBB also allocates $13.5 billion to states and localities for federal immigration law enforcement, allowing reimbursement for costs related to border wall construction and arrests of immigrants suspected of violating immigration laws. The bill also provides full funding for the 287(g) program, which deputizes state and local law enforcement to assist ICE in immigration enforcement.
However, the funding for these efforts has raised substantial concerns about civil rights, legal backlogs, and humanitarian impacts. Critics warn that funding allocations for family and mass detention, along with aggressive prosecution of immigration offenses, could exacerbate family separations and undermine asylum rights.
Meanwhile, a federal judge has dealt a major blow to the Trump administration, finding that DHS has been making stops and arrests in Los Angeles immigration raids without probable cause. The judge granted a temporary restraining order to stop DHS from detaining individuals solely on race or ethnicity, spoken language or accent, or "presence at a particular location" like a bus stop or occupation.
In response, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has called the judge an "idiot," while the White House has criticized Friday's order, describing it as a "gross overstep of judicial authority." Noem maintains that the department's immigration practices will not change due to the judge's order, and the White House has stated that enforcement operations require careful planning and execution, skills beyond a judge's jurisdiction.
The funding for these efforts comes from President Donald Trump's domestic policy bill, which was signed into law last week. The bill provides agencies like ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with larger funds for immigration enforcement. Noem stated that the Trump administration's anti-immigration agenda aims to clean up streets and make communities safer.
However, the specific criteria that the judge's order addressed were not given in the report, and no details about potential changes in immigration enforcement operations were provided. The White House's statement was contributed to by CNN's Julia Benbrook.
- The domestic policy bill, known as the BBB, has allocated a significant amount, approximately $170 billion, for immigration enforcement and border security.
- ICE, a significant agency under the Department of Homeland Security, will receive a substantial portion of this funding, with $45 billion dedicated specifically to expanding ICE’s detention system.
- The bill also funds the hiring of 10,000 new ICE agents, potentially expanding enforcement capacity significantly, and provides a $10,000 bonus annually for four years for ICE agents.
- However, the funding for these efforts has raised concerns about civil rights, legal backlogs, and humanitarian impacts, with critics warning that funding allocations could exacerbate family separations and undermine asylum rights.
