Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ increases ICE budget by 1150%

President Donald J. Trump is set to sign into law a broad-ranging domestic policy bill that significantly reduces federal spending by trillions of dollars, including cuts to programs like Medicaid and food stamp benefits. At the same time, the legislation increases funding for immigration enforcement and mass deportation efforts, while adding an estimated $3.3 trillion to the federal debt.

The bill, which Trump has hailed as the “big, beautiful bill,” cleared both chambers of Congress this week after months of intense negotiations and party-line tensions. The House narrowly approved the measure on Thursday by a vote of 218 to 214, with two Republicans — Representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania — breaking ranks to join all Democrats in opposition. The Senate passed the bill earlier in the week.

Trump is scheduled to sign the legislation on Friday, timed to coincide with the Independence Day holiday. 

The new law enacts tax cuts for taxpayers earning $1 million or more, while simultaneously slashing domestic spending across a range of agencies. It significantly expands funding for Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, reflecting the administration’s continued focus on deportations and border security.

But for immigrant communities — particularly undocumented and mixed-status families — the implications are profound.

Central to the proposed bill is an increase of 1,150% in  U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s budget. The legislation earmarks billions in new funding for “removal operations,” which include expanding detention capacity, hiring thousands of additional agents and authorizing the use of local law enforcement to assist in raids and deportations.

A section of a federal bill reveals increased funding for immigration enforcement, allocating more than $100 billion to ICE and border enforcement through September 2029. That is an increase of more than twelvefold from its current budget of $8 billion. 

According to the language of the bill, funding will support the “swift deportation of certain criminal non-citizens” under provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act, allowing removal without full court hearings. The measure aims to speed up the removal process for individuals with criminal records or deemed a security risk.

In addition, the bill sets aside funds for criminal and gang background checks on unaccompanied migrant children as young as 12 years old. The screenings will include checks for criminal history and physical examinations for gang-related tattoos and markings.

The bill also calls for reviving and expanding controversial programs like the 287(g) program, which deputizes local police to act as immigration agents. 

The 287(g) program authorizes ICE to delegate certain immigration enforcement functions to state and local law enforcement agencies. Through agreements, these agencies can identify and process individuals for deportation who are in their custody on criminal charges. This program has been criticized for potentially leading to racial profiling, civil rights violations and community distrust of law enforcement. 

According to the official ICE website, the program is not currently permitted in California for all local law enforcement agencies, although there have been reports of local law enforcement agencies sharing information with immigration enforcement agents. 

The bill will also significantly narrow eligibility for asylum, denying claims based on gang violence, domestic abuse and even some cases of political persecution. Further, it introduces a five-year ban on reentry for any undocumented immigrant who is deported and severely limits the ability of those already in the U.S. to adjust status, even if they have family ties or long-term residence.

For communities already living in the margins, the passage of the bill lands as both a legal and psychological blow. Past enforcement waves under the Trump administration resulted in school absenteeism, labor exploitation and mental health crises. Advocates say communities should brace themselves for an increased presence of immigration enforcement agents in the coming months.