Donald Trump's immigration crackdown gets $150 billion boost from Congress

Business Standard

3 days ago

The United States is poised to implement one of its most aggressive immigration enforcement expansions in decades following the Republican-controlled Congress's approval of a sweeping budget bill. The legislation, which President Donald Trump plans to sign by Friday, earmarks more than $150 billion to fund mass deportation and border security measures, Bloomberg reported.
Most of the funds are directed toward the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its key enforcement agencies — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This marks an unprecedented financial boost, expected to accelerate detention centre construction, increase staffing, and resume large-scale border wall development.
Surge in detention funding and enforcement
A substantial portion of the budget — $45 billion — is allocated to expanding federal immigration detention, a move set to significantly benefit ICE. The ICE is currently detaining over 59,000 individuals, surpassing its official capacity of 42,000. To meet internal targets of at least 3,000 daily arrests, ICE has been conducting operations across courthouses, workplaces, and migrant hubs in major cities, Bloomberg reported.
To manage the overflow, a new detention facility dubbed 'Alligator Alcatraz' has opened in Florida's Everglades. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has told lawmakers the administration aims to more than double the number of available detention beds.
Meanwhile, oversight of these detention operations is decreasing. Earlier this year, DHS disbanded its internal detention monitoring office. Lawmakers are now debating whether to make this cut permanent — an idea that has raised alarms among civil rights advocates.
Border wall construction resumes
The administration is also reviving one of Trump's most symbolic promises: the border wall. With $46.5 billion allocated to wall construction, contracts are being fast-tracked. This year, a $70 million deal was signed for new barriers in Texas's Rio Grande Valley, while another $309 million has been committed to a 27-mile stretch in Arizona's Tucson sector.
Though migrant arrests have dropped significantly in these areas, CBP attributes this to stricter enforcement under Trump, continued asylum restrictions from the Biden era, and increased policing by Mexican authorities.
ICE and border patrol to scale up
ICE is slated to receive a $30 billion boost — three times its typical annual budget. This funding will enable a massive expansion in deportation operations, including hiring thousands of new officers and government attorneys, enhancing transport capabilities, and scaling up technology. The White House has pledged to fund 10,000 new ICE positions and offer $10,000 annual bonuses over four years, Bloomberg reported.
Similarly, $6.1 billion has been set aside for hiring more Border Patrol and customs officers, with plans to onboard 8,000 personnel. However, experts warn that recruitment hurdles remain due to stringent background checks and intensive training.
States to receive border funds
To recognise state-level efforts, the bill establishes a $13.5 billion fund to reimburse state and local governments for border security expenses incurred since 2021. Texas is expected to receive a large portion, with Governor Greg Abbott seeking over $11 billion for building state-funded barriers and transporting more than 120,000 migrants to cities across the US — and even internationally, the news report said.
Other states may also claim reimbursement for expenses tied to local border enforcement and policing unauthorised immigrants.
Immigration fees set to increase
The legislation also aims to raise revenue by increasing costs for immigrants seeking legal status. Proposed changes include a $100 asylum application fee, $550 for work permits, $500 for Temporary Protected Status, and $1,000 for humanitarian parole. In addition, a $5,000 fine would be imposed on individuals caught crossing the border unlawfully, the news report said.
Fee waivers for low-income applicants would largely be eliminated, a move that advocacy groups argue could make legal immigration pathways unaffordable for many.
Legal challenge over LA immigration raids
Amid this legislative shift, a federal lawsuit filed in Los Angeles accuses the Trump administration of systematically targeting brown-skinned residents during immigration raids. Filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California, the suit alleges agents have arrested people without probable cause in public spaces, including bus stops and labour sites, Associated Press reported.
'These guys are popping up, rampant all over the city, just taking people randomly and we want that particular practice to end,' ACLU attorney Mohammad Tajsar told the Los Angeles Times.
The complaint also claims detainees are being held in harsh, 'dungeon-like' conditions without access to legal counsel and calls for a halt to these alleged constitutional violations.