Arming and Expanding ICE: The Cost to American Taxpayers and Liberties

The Trump Administration is poised to potentially triple funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in FY2026 as it recruits, arms and deploys large numbers of new personnel across the country. If compared to military forces, ICE’s new budget would rank it among the top-funded 15 militaries in the world – an ominous buildup of armed loyalists that Trump is demonstratively deploying alongside other law enforcement and the national guard in cities and states he regards as resisting his authority.

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