The very first thing to know about ICE is that it wasn’t even a governmental agency until 2003, because, until then, the government did not feel the need for it, and thus its present-day functions were previously handled by other agencies. We find that the budget for ICE as of fiscal year 2025 was around $10 billion, or essentially around the same amount as the budget of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which came into existence in 1908. However, the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” which was signed into law by President Trump on July 4, 2025, determined that the FBI’s budget should be reduced by about $545 million, thereby providing the FBI with a fiscal year 2026 budget of $10,1 billion; whereas the budget for ICE put into effect a four year supplement of $75 billion, which basically tripled its budget for the next four years, from $10 to around $29 billion per year.
Perhaps this nation is inundated with all sorts of illegal immigrants, of which, these immigrants are a present danger to the safety of American citizens, and thereby it is necessary to put American boots upon their necks so that they will thereby know their place, and as a sure warning to all those considering to immigrate here through illicit means, that America means business. The problem with this sort of mindset, though, is that illegal immigration has been around for decades upon decades, and further to the point, the reason why so many people desire to immigrate here, despite the risks, sacrifices, and money involved, is that America is seen by these people as being a beacon of freedom and opportunity. Additionally, the bottom line is that the millions of those who have immigrated here through illicit means would not be here if there weren’t needed, desired, protected, and welcomed by certain powerful interests in America. In other words, immigrants come here because they know that there is work and money to be made. After all, there are numerous jobs in America, that native born Americans aren’t going to do, because it’s “sweat labor”, it’s dangerous, it’s tiring, and it doesn’t compensate well, but illegal immigrants will do it, because they know that by working hard that they will not only get a firm toehold into America, but will also set the table for future generations to benefit from their hard labor.
To believe, somehow, that all this money being allocated to ICE is going to make for a better and safer America is to get it all wrong, of which the biggest mistake being made is selling to the general public the impression that there are cartels of illegal immigrants who are drug traffickers and are committing wanton violence against American citizens. Look, no doubt, there are bad immigrants, just like there are bad native born Americans, but the bottom line is that the utilization of ICE as the avenging agency against those that are perceived to be the proximate problem in America is fundamentally flawed, because most immigrants keep their heads down and just get necessary work done. Additionally, we find that since American actions abroad do not seem to support democracy, liberty, and opportunity it seems only sensible that those with little or nothing will therefore come to this land because the choices that they have within their own homeland are so limited, and therefore we ought to be fair to them, because their work ethic and desire to succeed should be welcomed, but also sensibly dealt with, as contrasted to using the big stick most mercilessly.