ICE Funding Rockets by $170BN as Trump Ramps up Raids and Detentions Before Midterms

Communities across the United States are bracing for a new phase in the immigration battle, as Donald Trump prepares to unleash unprecedented funding and power for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol. Families, workers, and entire neighbourhoods now face the prospect of more raids, more deportations, and a government strategy that critics say is turning 'law and order' into something far more chilling.

A massive financial commitment backs this aggressive push. A new spending package is set to funnel an extra £135 billion ($170 billion) into ICE and Border Patrol through September 2029—a staggering leap from their usual annual budgets of roughly £15 billion ($19 billion).

From Streets to Workplaces and Homes

ICE is expected to step up operations in workplaces such as farms, factories, and other job sites that have traditionally been considered too economically sensitive to target.

While federal agents carried out a handful of high-profile business raids this year, they largely avoided sectors considered critical to the economy. That is now changing, with the administration signalling that job sites will be a key focus of enforcement.

At the same time, there has been a surge of immigration agents into major US cities, where they have swept through neighbourhoods, often wearing masks and using tear gas in residential areas, deepening fears among immigrant communities. Some businesses have shut down temporarily to avoid raids or because customers are too afraid to show up, while parents at risk of arrest have kept their children home from school.

A Widening Dragnet

Trump has promised to carry out millions of deportations a year, a target he is not close to meeting, with about 622,000 immigrants deported since he took office in January. To widen the pool of people who can be removed, the administration has stripped temporary legal status from hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Haiti, Venezuela, and Afghanistan.

Reports also highlight disturbing trends, including individuals detained during green card interviews or even pulled from naturalisation ceremonies just before they were due to become US citizens.

Some US citizens now fear that their children could be detained because of the colour of their skin, prompting families to ensure they carry green cards or passports at all times, even when going about everyday life.

Detentions Rise as Rights Concerns Deepen

According to REALTALKUS, 41 per cent of individuals currently detained by ICE have no criminal record and are being held for administrative or paperwork issues. Government data similarly indicates that, despite public messaging focused on 'criminals,' a growing share of those arrested under the Trump administration have not been charged with any crime beyond alleged immigration violations.

In late November, roughly 54,000 people were in ICE detention, and about 41 per cent of them had no criminal record beyond a suspected immigration violation, compared with just 6 per cent before Trump took office. This shift has intensified criticism that the system is sweeping up long-time residents and families rather than prioritising dangerous offenders.

Political Backlash Ahead of Elections

Trump's more aggressive approach is coming at a political cost. His approval rating on immigration policy has reportedly dropped from 50 per cent in March, before the latest crackdowns, to 41 per cent in mid-December.

Miami, one of the cities most affected by these policies, recently elected its first Democratic mayor in nearly three decades. The mayor-elect framed the result partly as a response to Trump's tactics.

Republican strategist Mike Madrid warned that 'people are beginning to see this as a violation of rights, a violation of due process and militarising neighbourhoods extraconstitutionally, rather than an immigration question.' He added that there is no question that the current situation is a problem for the president and Republicans.

ICE Expansion, 'Exploding' Numbers, And Workplace Fears

White House border czar Tom Homan has insisted that Trump has delivered on a 'historic deportation operation,' saying the president is shutting down illegal immigration across the US–Mexico border and removing criminals.

Homan has predicted that the number of arrests will rise sharply as ICE brings in more officers and expands detention capacity using the new funding, promising: 'I think you're going to see the numbers explode greatly next year.'

He confirmed that the plans 'absolutely' include more enforcement actions at workplaces, a move that could send shockwaves through industries that rely heavily on immigrant labour. Analysts warn that replacing workers arrested during workplace raids could drive up labour costs, undermining Trump's fight against inflation.