BUDGET BATTLE: Congress Debates Massive Funding Increase for Immigration Detention

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BUDGET BATTLE: Congress Debates Massive Funding Increase for Immigration Detention

Immigration Budget Report | April 8, 2025

Congress is locked in a heated debate over funding increases for immigration detention facilities as the Trump administration pushes for expanded capacity to support its deportation efforts.

Record Funding Requests

The Republican budget reconciliation plan proposes allocating at least $175 billion to immigration and border enforcement - a figure that would represent a 43% increase in the total funding provided to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) since the Department of Homeland Security was created in 2003. For context, in the two decades since the U.S Department of Homeland Security was created in 2003, Congress has provided an estimated combined total of $409 billion for ICE and CBP.

This proposed increase comes after ICE's budget has already nearly tripled from $3.3 billion in 2003 to $9.6 billion in fiscal year 2024, while CBP's budget has risen from $5.9 billion to $19.6 billion during the same period. Since the creation of DHS in 2003, ICE spending has nearly tripled from $3.3 billion to $9.6 billion in FY 2024. Since 2003, the budget of CBP, which includes both the Border Patrol and operations at ports of entry, has also more than tripled, rising from $5.9 billion in FY 2003 to a high of $19.6 billion in FY 2024.

Detention Capacity Crisis

The funding debate comes as ICE detention facilities are already exceeding capacity. On Tuesday morning, space inside ICE detention facilities was at 109% capacity, with the agency holding close to 42,000 migrant detainees, despite having, on paper, a 38,521-bed capacity in its network of for-profit prisons and county jails, according to internal Department of Homeland Security data.

According to ICE, increasing detention capacity by an additional 60,000 beds would require a funding increase of approximately $3.2 billion. A December 2024 ICE memo in response to Congressional requests for information noted that increasing detention capacity by more than 60,000 beds will require a funding increase of approximately $3.2 billion dollars.

Current Trump Administration Priorities

The Trump administration's immigration enforcement priorities align with the proposed funding increases. Tom Homan, Trump's "border czar," has called for funding to detain at least 100,000 people at any given time, including the construction of at least four new detention camps holding upwards of 10,000 people at any given time, and more than a dozen smaller detention camps holding 700 to 1,000 people.

Since President Trump's inauguration, ICE has significantly ramped up enforcement operations. Since Mr. Trump's inauguration, ICE has increased arrest operations across the country, recording as many 1,000 arrests on some days, compared to the 312 daily average during former President Joe Biden's last year in office.

 

 Two Decades of ICE Funding and Detention: A Presidential Administration Breakdown

Bush Administration (2003-2009)

The Department of Homeland Security was established in 2003 following the September 11 attacks, creating ICE with an initial budget of $3.3 billion[1]. During the Bush years, ICE's budget grew steadily to $5.4 billion by 2009, while detention capacity expanded to around 33,400 beds[1][2]. This period saw the implementation of the Illegal Immigrant Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, which significantly expanded mandatory detention categories[3]. The groundwork for the current detention infrastructure was laid during this administration, with increased reliance on privately-operated facilities.

Obama Administration (2009-2017)

Despite campaign promises to reform immigration enforcement, the Obama administration oversaw continued growth in both budget and detention capacity. ICE's budget increased from $5.4 billion to $6.8 billion by 2017[1]. The administration initially reduced detention capacity in its first term but later expanded it in response to increased border crossings. In 2014, the administration opened large family detention centers in Texas to hold Central American families. The Obama years saw deportations reach record levels, with over 3 million removals during his tenure, earning the president criticism as "Deporter-in-Chief" from immigrant advocacy groups[4].

Trump Administration (2017-2021)

Immigration enforcement saw its most significant expansion under President Trump, with ICE's budget growing from $6.8 billion to $8.3 billion[1]. Detention capacity surged dramatically, with funded capacity reaching 45,290 beds in 2019 - though the actual detained population frequently exceeded this number[5]. The "zero tolerance" policy and family separation crisis in 2018 brought increased scrutiny to detention conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 temporarily reduced detention populations to under 30,000, though enforcement priorities remained aggressive[6].

Biden Administration (2021-2025)

President Biden initially signaled a move away from mass detention, with detained populations dropping to around 22,000 in 2021[1]. However, facing continued high levels of border crossings, the administration steadily increased funding and detention capacity. By FY 2024, ICE's budget reached $9.6 billion with funded detention capacity of 41,500 beds[7][8]. The administration renewed dozens of detention contracts with private prison companies and began seeking new facilities despite early promises to phase out private detention[9].

Trump Administration (2025-Present)

Since taking office in January 2025, President Trump has made expanding detention capacity a cornerstone of his immigration policy. His administration is seeking unprecedented funding increases through budget reconciliation, proposing at least $175 billion for immigration and border enforcement[10]. Plans include expanding detention capacity to hold 100,000 people at any given time, with at least four new massive detention camps holding 10,000 people each[10]. As of early 2025, facilities were already at 109% capacity, with the administration exploring new locations including military bases for expanded detention[11].

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Budget Tradeoffs and Opposition

Critics argue that the massive funding increase for immigration enforcement would necessarily mean cuts to other government services. To pay for this detention and enforcement bonanza, as well as planned tax cuts and other GOP priorities, Congress is reportedly considering slashing services across the government, seeking at least $4 billion in total cuts.

Immigration advocacy groups have voiced strong opposition to the proposed funding increases. Organizations like the National Immigrant Justice Center have urged Congress to reject what they view as harmful enforcement measures and instead support processing and humanitarian needs. In line with this guiding framework recently released by NIJC and numerous other organizations, NIJC encourages Congress to reject the vast amount of funds sought for CBP and ICE that would be used to further fuel rapid deportations, detention and harmful border externalizing programs, and to support funding for additional processing and humanitarian services.

Current Detention System

Currently, ICE uses more than 190 facilities for detention across more than 40 states and U.S. territories, with the largest numbers of detainees held in Texas, Louisiana, California, Arizona, and Georgia. ICE uses more than 190 different facilities for detention across more than 40 states and U.S. territories. The states with the most people detained by ICE are Texas, Louisiana, California, Arizona and Georgia.

The U.S. government currently spends over $3 billion annually on immigration detention. The U.S. government spends over three billion a year on the largest immigration detention apparatus in the world to detain and deport people who have lived in the U.S. for decades or who arrived recently seeking safety or a better life.

As Congress continues to debate the budget reconciliation bill, the outcome will significantly impact the scale and scope of immigration enforcement for years to come.

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Sources:

1. GOP Budget Reconciliation Plan —Cutting Essential Programs To Supercharge Deportations
2. The Cost of Immigration Enforcement and Border Security | American Immigration Council
3. Featured Issue: Immigration Detention and Alternatives to Detention
4. ICE releases some migrant detainees as its detention facilities reach 109% capacity - CBS News
5. Congress Should Reject The White House's Supplemental Funding Requests For Increased Detention & Border Militarization
6. Policy Brief | Snapshot of ICE Detention: Inhumane Conditions and Alarming Expansion | National Immigrant Justice Center
   

   Historical Data Sources:

7. American Immigration Council, "The Cost of Immigration Enforcement and Border Security," September 23, 2024. https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/the-cost-of-immigration-enforcement-and-border-security
8. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, "Budget Documents FY 2003-2025," DHS.gov. https://www.dhs.gov/dhs-budget
9. Global Detention Project, "United States Immigration Detention Profile," 2024. https://www.globaldetentionproject.org/countries/americas/united-states
10. American Immigration Council, "President Obama's Legacy on Immigration," January 2017.
11. National Immigrant Justice Center, "Policy Brief: Snapshot of ICE Detention," 2024. https://immigrantjustice.org/research-items/policy-brief-snapshot-ice-detention-inhumane-conditions-and-alarming-expansion
12. ICE, "Enforcement and Removal Operations Statistics," 2024. https://www.ice.gov/statistics
13. AILA, "Featured Issue: Immigration Detention and Alternatives to Detention," 2025. https://www.aila.org/library/featured-issue-immigration-detention-and-alternatives-to-detention
14. National Immigrant Justice Center, "ICE Detention: Inhumane Conditions and Alarming Expansion," 2024. https://immigrantjustice.org/research-items/policy-brief-snapshot-ice-detention-inhumane-conditions-and-alarming-expansion
15. Freedom for Immigrants, "Detention Statistics," 2023. https://www.freedomforimmigrants.org/detention-statistics
16. Immigration Impact, "GOP Budget Reconciliation Plan," February 21, 2025. https://immigrationimpact.com/2025/02/21/gop-budget-reconciliation-plan/
17. CBS News, "ICE releases some migrant detainees as facilities reach 109% capacity," February 6, 2025. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-releases-some-migrant-detainees-detention-facilities-reach-109-percent-capacity/
18.