Democrats Enable $70 Billion Boost to ICE and Border Patrol Despite Mass Outcry

The bipartisan passage of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill this week lays bare the Democrats’ hollow opposition to Trump’s mass deportation machine and criminal immigration policies. The bill, which sailed through the House on a voice vote and was swiftly signed by Trump, ends the longest DHS shutdown in US history after 76 days. But the real story is what it leaves out.

To dodge direct responsibility, the bill deliberately splits funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from the rest of DHS. This sleight of hand lets Democrats claim they did not vote to fund the agencies directly, while Republicans prepare to ram through roughly $70 billion to ICE and Border Patrol over three years via the budget reconciliation process. This maneuver bypasses the Senate filibuster and was approved by the House with zero Democratic support.

This $70 billion infusion adds to the more than $170 billion already allocated last year under Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which fueled the expansion of immigrant concentration camps, border militarization, and the private prison profiteers who profit from mass repression. Meanwhile, critical social programs like Medicaid and food stamps face constant budget attacks — exposing the priorities of a system that finds endless cash for paramilitary forces but not for basic human needs.

This outcome was no accident. As early as January, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met with Trump and other GOP leaders to strategize splitting ICE and Border Patrol funding from the larger DHS package. Schumer admitted the move was designed to preserve Trump’s “credibility” amid widespread outrage, telling Trump that “the American people hate what is going on in the streets” and that protests were damaging his image.

The Democrats’ real goal was never to abolish ICE or hold accountable those responsible for killings like Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. Instead, they sought to contain the growing movement demanding abolition and justice. When tens of thousands took to the streets and workers discussed strike actions, Democratic leaders and union bureaucracies worked hard to funnel that anger into safe, symbolic protests while threatening real labor actions with discipline and legal consequences.

The final DHS funding bill passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan support, including from Democrats who had feigned opposition for months. The only vocal objections came from the far right, who complained that excluding ICE and Border Patrol from immediate funding was disrespectful to the agencies.

Union leaders expressed relief that Congress finally acted but remained silent on the role of DHS as the central force behind Trump’s terror campaign against immigrants and workers. This silence underscores the Democrats’ complicity in maintaining the machinery of repression.

The ongoing crisis in Minnesota, where Democratic Governor Tim Walz deployed state police and National Guard to protect ICE facilities rather than free detainees, exemplifies the Democrats’ role in reinforcing the immigration police state even as they claim to oppose it.

The Democrats have once again demonstrated that their opposition to the Trump administration’s abuses is largely performative. By enabling a massive funding boost to ICE and Border Patrol, they have helped ensure the continuation and expansion of a brutal, authoritarian immigration regime — all while suppressing the very grassroots resistance demanding real change.