ICE retains $240 billion budget despite midterm losses

Federal immigration enforcement agencies will retain approximately $240 billion in funding for the next two years, even as a new Congress prepares to scrutinize their operations. Congress awarded this sum to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol in 2025 and 2026. The money is sufficient to sustain the current mass deportation campaign through the remainder of the presidential term.

The funding level makes ICE the highest funded federal law enforcement agency in the country. Lawmakers from the newly empowered Democratic majority intend to use this financial position as a point of leverage during hearings. They plan to examine how the agency spends the money and how it treats those in its custody. The goal is to determine if the current enforcement model is sustainable or if it requires structural changes.

The push for oversight follows a sharp political shift in Texas. Voters there elected Gina Hinojosa as governor and the state’s first Democratic U.S. senator in nearly four decades. The Texas House of Representatives also flipped to Democratic control. These results occurred in counties along the U.S.-Mexico border that had supported the current president in the previous election cycle.

Local leaders in Texas are already calling for immediate changes. César Espinosa, executive director of the Houston-based advocacy group FIEL, said Hinojosa can end the state’s partnership with ICE on her first day in office. He also wants the state legislature to pass laws allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. Houston’s mayor has already begun reducing police cooperation with federal agents.

In Washington, Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi is expected to chair the House Homeland Security Committee. He plans to require federal immigration agents to wear body cameras and ban them from covering their faces. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, who will lead the House Oversight Committee, told Republicans on Election Day to prepare for intense scrutiny. He described the coming period as a time for the new majority to demand answers.

The White House has signaled that enforcement will remain a priority despite the election results. Vice President JD Vance attributed the Republican losses to economic concerns and the war with Iran, leaving immigration off his list of primary causes. He indicated he is open to targeting businesses that hire undocumented workers but rejected the idea of amnesty. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin posted on social media the day after the election that deportations will continue.

Stephen Miller, recently promoted to White House chief of staff, remains a central figure in the administration’s immigration strategy. Miller helped design the child separation policy in the first term and was involved in converting warehouses into detention centers. His elevation suggests the executive branch will continue to prioritize aggressive enforcement tactics.

Private companies that operate detention facilities for ICE are watching the political changes closely. CoreCivic and the GEO Group held investor calls the day after the midterms. Lucibeth Mayberry, president of CoreCivic, told investors that the agency has secure funding to increase enforcement. She advised ICE officials to move quickly on purchasing new detention centers to maintain capacity.