ICE's new budget surpasses that of most armies in the world

In a historic decision that marks a turning point in U.S. immigration policy, the United States Congress recently approved the ambitious bill promoted and named One Big Beautiful Bill by President Donald Trump.

The initiative transforms the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) into the country's largest homeland security agency, with a budget that exceeds that of most armies in the world, including those of powers such as Israel, Italy, or Brazil.

This budget law, which represents Trump's commitment to border security and national sovereignty, provides for unprecedented funding for ICE: 150 billion dollars distributed over four years, which amounts to an annual average of 37.5 billion dollars.

This figure places ICE's budget above the military spending of at least 180 countries, surpassing nations such as Italy (30.8 billion), Israel (30 billion), Netherlands (27 billion), and Brazil (26.1 billion), according to data from Global Fire Power.

This decisive step responds to the growing demand from American citizens who call for control, order, and law enforcement in the management of illegal immigration. Under Trump's administration, ICE will have the necessary resources to protect the border, ensure the deportation of those who violate immigration laws, and safeguard national security.

Additionally, the bill provides for an investment of 45 billion dollars to expand the illegal immigrant detention system, in order to house both single adults and families. This represents an increase thirteen times higher than ICE's previous detention budget, which will allow for infrastructure in line with the country's current needs.

The law also allocates another 29.9 billion dollars to strengthen the agency's operational capacity. These funds will be used for the hiring of new agents, acquisition of vehicles, and hiring of transportation services to facilitate transfers between detention centers and carry out the corresponding deportations more efficiently.

A radical change

This marks a sharp change from the previous Democratic administration of former President Joe Biden, when the United States experienced an unprecedented migration crisis. Millions of illegal immigrants crossed the southern border in just a few years, taking advantage of the open borders policy, the elimination of effective controls, and rhetoric that encouraged illegal immigration.

This wave of undocumented immigrants not only created unsustainable pressure on state and local resources, but also facilitated the entry of individuals with criminal records, including murderers, drug traffickers, and members of dangerous criminal organizations.