Against the backdrop of Donald Trump’s hardline migration rhetoric, his administration is pushing several controversial initiatives—ranging from the revocation of student visas and efforts to strip children of migrants born in the U.S. of birthright citizenship to abortion bans and the militarized crackdown on protests in Los Angeles following immigrant-led demonstrations. All of this fits into a broader strategy of performative toughness against "chaos at the borders." But this aggressive stance has pushed ICE—the agency in charge of deportations—to the brink of bankruptcy, now risking a violation of federal law unless Congress steps in.
Donald Trump’s immigration policy is once again at the center of controversy—this time due to a looming budget crisis. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), responsible for detaining, holding, and deporting undocumented migrants, could run out of funding as early as next month. The reason: record-level operations. Under administration orders, ICE is expected to detain around 3,000 people daily. Existing capacity is clearly insufficient, and budgets are being stretched to the breaking point.
According to lawmakers, the agency has already spent over $1 billion beyond its authorized limit—with more than three months remaining in the fiscal year. This has raised concern on both sides of the aisle, along with fears that the White House could begin diverting funds from other departments. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, now risks violating federal law—specifically the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits spending not approved by Congress.
To address the shortfall, Trump is proposing what he calls the "Big Beautiful Bill"—a package that would allocate $75 billion to ICE over the next five years. Otherwise, the administration may resort to emergency measures similar to those used in 2020, when nearly $4 billion was redirected from the Pentagon budget to build the border wall.
For now, DHS has internally reallocated about $500 million, but that remains insufficient. According to Axios, ICE could violate the law as early as July unless Congress provides at least $2 billion in additional funding. The agency is also actively seeking new detention sites, including options abroad.
Lawmakers’ reactions reflect growing tensions. Democrat Chris Murphy called the situation "plainly illegal" and accused DHS of arbitrary spending. Republicans have responded more cautiously: Senator John Kennedy expressed hope that the money will be found, while his colleague Katie Britt noted that funding efforts are already underway. Congressman Mark Amodei warned that any delay in approving the budget could turn into a "capital-P Problem."
Officials are working to deflect criticism. According to Tricia McLaughlin, a senior aide at DHS, the department—under the leadership of Kristi Noem—is actively combating "waste, fraud, and misuse of funds." The new bill, she added, is intended to secure the United States "for generations to come."
Meanwhile, the White House has stopped publishing full details on budget reallocations and has ordered other agencies to suspend parts of their programs in an effort to keep spending under control. Together, these moves are creating a tense atmosphere and raising the risk of an institutional crisis—especially if ICE exhausts its resources before autumn.
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