President Donald Trump is reportedly pushing for a $150 billion spending cut to fund his immigration enforcement agenda over the next four years, a move that could significantly reshape the U.S. immigration system.
What Happened: The proposed budget would be allocated over the next four years, with a significant portion going towards expanding the southern border wall, funding detention centers and hiring additional law enforcement personnel, Fortune reported. The bill is currently being debated in the Senate, with Republicans advocating for its swift approval despite Democratic opposition.
If passed, the bill would significantly boost the annual budget for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), raising it from $10 billion and enabling a major expansion of its law enforcement and detention infrastructure. It also seeks to raise the costs associated with legal immigration to the U.S.
The bill proposes allocating $46.5 billion for an "integrated border barrier system" that encompasses fencing, water barriers, access roads for law enforcement, and technologies such as motion sensors. This funding would enable the completion of 701 miles of primary walls and 900 miles of river barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The bill allocates $45 billion to expand the network of detention centers for adult migrants and families. It also seeks an additional $12 billion to hire 18,000 new ICE and Border Patrol agents. Additionally, the legislation introduces a $1,000 asylum application fee, along with several other fee hikes.
The legislation also allocates $1.25 billion to the immigration court system, aiming to hire additional immigration judges and support staff, as well as expand courtroom capacity. It further imposes new costs on asylum seekers and raises fees for several immigration-related services.
Why It Matters: The Trump administration’s aggressive immigration stance has reportedly caused a financial strain on ICE, with the agency at risk of running out of funds by next month. This has raised concerns among lawmakers from both parties, who fear that President Trump might divert funds from other agencies to keep ICE afloat. The proposed bill could potentially alleviate this financial strain.
Moreover, the Trump administration has been criticized for what has been described as a massive financial windfall for private prison companies running immigration detention centers, as highlighted by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) in an Instagram Live session in May. This criticism has added to the debate around the administration’s immigration policies and the potential impact of the proposed bill.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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