President Donald Trump may slash funding from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to fill a budget shortfall in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to NBC News.
Two sources familiar with the plan told NBC News that the Trump administration is considering redirecting funds from TSA to ICE in support of his mass deportation efforts.
Newsweek has contacted the Department of Homeland Security, ICE, and the White House for further comment.
Why It Matters
Trump made immigration a central theme of his successful presidential campaign. Americans largely support immigration reform overall but disagree about how policies such as deportations should be carried out.
A slight majority of Americans support Trump’s current deportation plans. A New York Times/Ipsos poll carried out from January 2 to 10 found 55 percent of voters strongly or somewhat supported such plans. Eighty-eight percent supported “Deporting immigrants who are here illegally and have criminal records.” Large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans agreed that the immigration system is broken.
ICE, the nation’s leading immigration enforcement agency, is tasked with carrying out Trump’s pledge for mass deportations.
The TSA’s primary responsibility is ensuring the safety and security of air travel. If funds are diverted from the TSA, it could reduce the resources available for screening passengers and baggage, as well as for maintaining security measures at the required standard.
It could lead to longer wait times, less effective screening, and potentially even increased vulnerability to national security threats.
What To Know
The administration is also considering reallocating funds from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Coast Guard to support ICE operations.
The executive branch has the authority to transfer funds appropriated by Congress between agencies within a department, and the Trump administration would not be the first to do so to address an ICE budget shortfall.
Before Trump took office and ramped up deportations, ICE was already dealing with a $230 million budget shortfall, averaging about 282 arrests per day. On Sunday, the agency arrested over 1,200 people, a senior DHS official told NBC News.
ICE leadership has reportedly directed by the Trump administration to maintain a daily arrest rate of 1,200 to 1,500 people.
Congress must be informed of any fund transfers, which are subject to certain limits. According to a 2023 Congressional Research Service report, in fiscal year 2023, up to 5 percent of any DHS appropriation could be reallocated within the department, provided the recipient agency’s budget did not exceed its original congressional allocation by more than 10 percent.
Meanwhile, mass removals could cost the U.S. $315 billion for a one-time effort, per the American Immigration Council.
The long-term cost of deporting 1 million people annually could average $88 billion annually, totaling $967.9 billion over a decade. This would require a vast expansion of detention and court systems.
Border czar Tom Homan said the administration will need $86 billion from Congress to begin mass deportations.
What People Are Saying
Former acting ICE Director P.J. Lechleitner told NBC News: “HSI [Home Security Investigations] will have to refocus their invested equities and pull resources off some of their other core areas.”
What Happens Next
The decision on the Trump administration’s potential reallocation of TSA funds will depend on several factors, including Congressional approval and the administration’s budget priorities.
If the plan moves forward, it could take several months to implement, as it requires notifying Congress and navigating legal and procedural hurdles.
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