On April 30, the House Judiciary Committee advanced a budget reconciliation bill that, if enacted, would represent the largest increase in immigration enforcement funding in U.S. history. The bill allocates nearly $80 billion for domestic immigration enforcement, including $45 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention and $14.4 billion for ICE transportation and removal operations. Additionally, the House plans to provide nearly $67 billion for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with $51.6 billion designated for building border barriers.
This legislation comes through the annual budget reconciliation process, which allows Congress to bypass the Senate’s usual extended debate rules and pass budget bills with a simple majority vote. However, disagreements remain between the House and Senate Republicans over specific provisions, so the bill may change during Senate consideration and may not become law in its current form. Nevertheless, the proposal signals the starting point for ongoing Republican negotiations around budget reconciliation.
If the funds are approved, ICE is poised to dramatically escalate deportation efforts to unprecedented levels, becoming the most heavily funded enforcement agency in the federal government. ICE officers would be deployed throughout communities for large-scale arrest operations, while private prison contractors would receive billions to build new detention centers and increase deportation flights substantially.
Under the bill, ICE’s detention funding would increase from $3.4 billion to $45 billion through September 30, 2029—a staggering 1,224% increase. This would raise ICE’s annual detention budget to $12.4 billion, surpassing the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ current budget of $8.3 billion by nearly 50%.
The bill also provides $14.4 billion for transportation and removal operations, increasing the current $721 million budget by 2,000%. It includes $8 billion to hire 10,000 new ICE officers over five years, $858 million for retention and signing bonuses, and $600 million for additional human resources personnel needed to support this expansion.
Meanwhile, funding for immigration courts would only rise by about 30%, raising concerns that the growth of detention capacity will outpace the courts’ ability to handle case backlogs. This disparity could lead to prolonged detention without hearings.
Beyond enforcement funding, the bill imposes mandatory fees on various humanitarian immigration protections, effectively barring many applicants from asylum. For the first time, the U.S. would charge asylum applicants a non-waivable fee starting at $1,000. This alone would prevent many detained or financially disadvantaged unaccompanied minors and asylum seekers from applying.
Even applicants outside detention would face costly fees: work authorization applicants would pay $550 every six months to obtain and maintain permits, plus an additional $100 annually if their applications are pending. Over an average five-year asylum adjudication period, applicants could pay up to $7,000 in fees, including application, work permit, and maintenance costs. If denied, appeal fees would increase to $900, up from the current $110.
The bill also hikes fees for humanitarian parole ($1,000), Temporary Protected Status ($500, up from $50), and Special Immigrant Juvenile Status ($500). Individuals seeking sponsorship for immigrant children in government custody must prepay $8,500, with only $5,000 refundable after the child attends all court hearings. This fee would severely restrict children’s release to sponsors.
Additionally, the bill introduces new penalties disguised as “fees.” Anyone apprehended crossing the border would face a $5,000 fee, a significant increase from the current maximum $250 fine for illegal entry. Similarly, those ordered removed for missing court hearings would also incur $5,000 fees. Furthermore, the bill mandates a $100 fee for each requested hearing postponement in immigration court—a common request as individuals seek legal counsel. This would impose financial barriers even on detained individuals unable to afford legal assistance, effectively forcing many to proceed without counsel.
Overall, the House bill represents a fundamental reshaping of U.S. immigration and due process. ICE would become the most powerful federal law enforcement agency, able to conduct immigration enforcement on an unprecedented scale. At the same time, most asylum seekers would face insurmountable financial obstacles, and defending oneself in immigration court would become prohibitively expensive. Should Congress approve this funding and empower ICE to build a vast detention network, the United States may soon struggle to maintain its long-held reputation as a land of freedom and justice.
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