ICE Holds $240 Billion in Funding Despite Midterm Shifts
Lawmakers vow new oversight and budget controls for immigration enforcement after border counties flip Democratic.
By Marco Whitaker ·
Congress awarded approximately $240 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol in 2025 and 2026. This sum makes ICE the highest-funded federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The funding secures the agency’s operational capacity for the remainder of the current presidential term.
Midterm election results in Texas signaled a change in political priorities regarding immigration. Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat, is set to become the state’s first Latina governor. Texans also elected the state’s first Democratic U.S. senator in nearly four decades. The Texas House of Representatives also changed control. Border counties that supported Donald Trump in 2024 voted for Democratic candidates this year.
Artemio Muñiz, of the Texas Federation of Hispanic Republicans, noted that the Hispanic community grew frustrated with anti-immigrant policies. He said the Republican Party in Texas needs to offer a reasonable immigration solution. That solution should include secured borders and a legal pathway for long-term undocumented residents.
Governor-elect Hinojosa faces calls to end the state’s partnership with ICE. César Espinosa, executive director of the Houston-based advocacy group FIEL, stated that action could occur on day one. He also urged the legislature to provide driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants. Houston’s mayor is already reducing police cooperation with federal agents.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., is likely to chair the House Homeland Security Committee. He plans to require body-worn cameras for federal immigration agents and ban face coverings. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., will lead the House oversight committee. Garcia told Republicans on Election Day to lawyer up as he prepares to investigate ICE accountability.
President Donald Trump said he welcomes the nickname Mr. Veto following the election results. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin posted a three-word message on social media the day after the vote: Deportations will continue. Vice President JD Vance attributed the Republican losses to the economy and inflation. He said he is open to focusing enforcement on businesses that hire undocumented workers but rejected amnesty.
Stephen Miller was promoted to White House chief of staff on Friday. He replaced Susie Wiles. Miller’s central project has been immigration control and mass deportations. CoreCivic President Lucibeth Mayberry told investors on a quarterly call that ICE has secure funding to increase enforcement activity. She urged the administration to move quickly on purchasing new detention centers.
Naureen Shah of the ACLU said ICE must fear losing its funding. She noted that congressional oversight via subpoenas is a powerful tool. The agency’s current spending supports a record number of deaths in detention since the start of the second Trump term.
