Congressional Republicans have agreed to cut funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and impose new restrictions on the agency in order to secure a bipartisan deal to fund the government and avoid a shutdown — a concession that comes even as President Donald Trump escalates ICE enforcement nationwide.
The cuts were tucked into a 1,059-page Homeland Security funding bill negotiated by the Senate and House Appropriations Committees and made public Tuesday. The bill cuts $115 million from ICE’s immigration enforcement and removal operations. It reduces the number of detention beds in migrant holding facilities by 5,500 and cuts funding for Customs and Border Protection by $1.8 billion. The legislation also earmarks $20 million to equip ICE agents with body cameras and money to provide agents with training for conflict de-escalation tactics.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) chalked up the cuts to what was needed to “get a deal” on funding the government and avoid another shutdown.
“Nobody gets everything they want. If Rosa [DeLauro] got to write this bill by herself, it’d be a very different bill. If I got to write it by myself, it’d be [different] — we don’t get to do that,” Cole said. “So we’ve got to find ways to work together.”
Democrats initially requested larger cuts to ICE funding, requirements that agents wear body cameras, and prohibitions on the ability of agents to wear masks during immigration raids. In 2024, the Biden administration provided body cameras for some ICE field offices, but the equipment is not available to all agents.
“ICE must be reined in,” said Rep.Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee. “There must be accountability for the countless abuses, acts of violence, and lawless behavior we have seen on our streets.”
In an effort to strike a deal with Democrats, Republicans agreed to the cuts and to boost funding for body cameras.
Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) told the Washington Examiner that she supported the Democrats’ body camera request and praised the overall bill as a Republican priority.
“I think it’s actually a good thing for our officers to be able to have the ability to show exactly what’s happening in these situations,” said Bice. “We need to support law enforcement, and I think many of our Democratic colleagues recognize that.”
The body camera requirement and cuts to ICE enforcement funding come as the agency is embroiled in public controversy. President Donald Trump has deployed ICE agents to cities across America to crack down on illegal migrants. The deployment has been met by protests from left-wing activists who have at times impeded and attempted to obstruct the work of ICE agents.
One such incident turned deadly in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when an ICE officer shot and killed a protester who hit him with her vehicle. The incident has spurred increased protests and criticism from Democrats.
“What they’ve done in Minneapolis is abhorrent and incredibly dangerous,” Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) said in a text to the Washington Examiner. “It’s a legitimate and worsening public safety issue…for American citizens.”
Landsman added that even though the DHS bill cuts funding for ICE enforcement, it will likely still struggle to get support from rank-and-file Democrats without further changes.
Some Democrats say they can’t vote for the DHS funding bill unless it includes language preventing ICE from deporting or detaining U.S. citizens.
“I understand this is due to the complete refusal of Republicans to hold this administration accountable,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). “However, without real accountability and guardrails, I simply cannot support this bill.”
Democrats are in the minority in both chambers of Congress and are limited in what they can do to force Republicans and the Trump White House to accept without forcing a government shutdown.
“The hard truth is that Democrats must win political power to enact the kind of accountability we need,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), the ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
However, Democrats know they have leverage.
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Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) will likely face pushback from conservatives and fiscal hawks who don’t want to see any restrictions on ICE or have concerns with other funding in the bills.
The speaker only has a two-seat majority, and he’s been struggling with GOP attendance due to medical issues and members prioritizing campaign events outside of Washington. Johnson might have to rely on Democrats to get the DHS funding bill over the finish line and keep the government open.