President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” will provide $165 billion to the Department of Homeland Security to help it carry out his immigration enforcement and deportation campaign promise. Multi-billion-dollar accounts were created for the border wall, deportations, personnel and more.
Here are just a few of the immigration and border security provisions within the bill:
Border wall and infrastructure
$46.5 billion will be allocated for the construction and improvement of the border wall. The money can also be used to build access roads, lights, cameras and motion sensors to help Border Patrol agents detect anyone entering the country.
Depending on the terrain, location and type of barrier, border wall can cost up to $20 million per mile.
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The BIDEN fund
The bill also created a $3.5 billion fund to reimburse states and local governments for costs incurred locating, apprehending, investigating, detaining, and prosecuting immigrants in the country illegally. The fund will be administered by the Attorney General.
The money could be used to reimburse the state of Florida for its newly constructed “Alligator Alcatraz” detention center, a soft-sided facility in the Everglades. Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, has also implemented many state level immigration enforcement operations that have cost the state billions, he has previously sought federal reimbursement.
The fund is called the ‘Bridging Immigration-related Deficits Experienced Nationwide’ Reimbursement fund, or BIDEN fund.
Detention capacity
The bill provides $45 billion for immigrant detention. The Department of Homeland Security will create separate facilities for families, unaccompanied children and single adults.
ICE currently has the capacity to hold approximately 47,600 immigrants, according to Reuters. The American Immigration Council estimates the new budget will give ICE the capacity to hold at least 116,000 non-citizens, a budget that’s 62% larger than the rest of the federal prison system.
The Trump Administration is expanding to 60 new facilities which include state, local and federal jails, according to Bloomberg. The facilities are located around the country – from Arizona to North Dakota, and Southern Florida all the way up to Maine. There are also two locations at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
ICE personnel, training and removals
ICE will receive $29.85 billion over the next four years for hiring, training and retaining personnel, in addition to facilities, equipment, technology, and transportation of migrants.
Immigration judges
The bill provides $3.3 billion to the Department of Justice for the hiring and staffing of 800 immigration judges and support staff. The DOJ will also use the money to prosecute immigration cases.
