02.12.25

Now Is the Time for Congress to Address Urgent Homeland Security Needs

President Trump’s Cabinet Members Are Making it Clear: Their Success Relies on Congress Swiftly Passing Border and Defense Funding

PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS CABINET ARE PLEADING FOR MORE RESOURCES

 “The more money we have, the more we can do. And I think this election proves that the American people support the removals of criminal aliens in this country. So I’m looking for Congress to come through and give us the budget we need.” – White House Border Czar Tom Homan

“President Trump has promised to seal our borders, protect American communities, and address the significant illegal alien population let into this country over the last four years. In order to accomplish these goals, and keep Americans safe, we need to secure the border in a lasting manner and permanently dismantle the transnational criminal organizations behind the smuggling of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into our communities… In order to deliver on President Trump’s promises to the American people, our agencies need the resources to succeed.” – Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem

  • Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought emphasized to Republican senators “the urgent need for border security funding on Tuesday, telling them an immediate $175 billion is necessary.”
    • “[G]iven Trump's significant actions to address illegal immigration, money is running out, and for the administration to keep enforcing the new policies and conducting operations across the country, those resources must be renewed.”
    • “The $175 billion topline request has already been factored into Senate Committee on the Budget Chairman Lindsey Graham's reconciliation bill, which is slated to go through the key committee this week.”  (Fox News: SCOOP: Trump budget chief Vought tells GOP senators $175B needed 'immediately' for border security – 2/11/25)
  • In addition to Vought’s plea, “Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi penned a letter to top appropriators in the House and Senate, pleading with them to designate more funds to the cause of securing the U.S. southern border.”
    • They requested funding for “additional law enforcement officers; military personnel, including Active Duty and State and National Guard; aircraft and additional means of transportation to facilitate deportations; both materials and workers to finish construction of ‘a permanent barrier’ at the border; additional immigration judges to quickly decide cases and clear the backlog; and more facilities to detain illegal immigrant waiting for deportation.” (Fox News: Noem, Hegseth, Bondi plead with Congress for more border funding amid large-scale deportations – 2/11/25)

A LACK OF FUNDING IS ALREADY HAVING AN IMPACT ON THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S ABILITY TO RESTORE ORDER AT THE BORDER

  • “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is releasing some migrant detainees, in some cases dozens per day, as space in its detention system has exceeded maximum capacity amid a spike in arrests by the agency under President Trump, internal government statistics obtained by CBS News show.” (CBS News: ICE releases some migrant detainees as its detention facilities reach 109% capacity – 2/5/25)
  • “On Tuesday morning, space inside ICE detention facilities was at 109% capacity, with the agency holding close to 42,000 migrant detainees, despite having, on paper, a 38,521-bed capacity…” (CBS News: ICE releases some migrant detainees as its detention facilities reach 109% capacity – 2/5/25)
  • “Since Mr. Trump's inauguration, ICE has increased arrest operations across the country, recording as many 1,000 arrests on some days, compared to the 312 daily average during former President Joe Biden's last year in office.” (CBS News: ICE releases some migrant detainees as its detention facilities reach 109% capacity – 2/5/25)
  • “ICE has historically been underfunded and has a limited number of agents.” (CNN: How the Trump administration is building out its immigration enforcement machine – 2/2/25)
  • “ICE was facing a $230 million budget shortfall even before Trump took office and ramped up deportations, when it averaged around 282 arrests per day.” (NBC News: Trump administration may pull money from TSA, Coast Guard to help ICE afford costly deportations – 1/28/25)

SENATE REPUBLICANS ARE TAKING ACTION TO GIVE THE ADMINISTRATION THE TOOLS IT NEEDS

“[A]s the week unfolds, we hope that [Chairman Graham] and his committee can move forward on this process and put us in a position where we are able to execute on the floor in addressing what are critical priorities for the president, for this administration, and for our country: securing our southern border, rebuilding our military, and unlocking American energy dominance.” – Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.)

“To the American people, if you'd like to finish the wall, we need more money to do it. If you want a more modern border, we need money to do it. If you believe that President Trump is right to track down and deport criminal aliens and clean up the mess that's been created over the last four years, we need more ICE agents.” – Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)

  • This week, the Senate Budget Committee will mark up its budget resolution, which “will be the blueprint that unlocks the pathway for a fully paid for reconciliation bill to secure the border, bolster our military, increase American energy independence and begin the process of fiscal sanity.” The resolution would lay the groundwork to provide funding that:
    • Secures the border, including: finishing the border wall and updating outdated border technology; increasing the number of detention beds needed to process illegal immigrant arrests and removals; hiring more ICE officers, Border Patrol agents, assistant U.S. attorneys, and immigration judges; and providing “investments in state and local law enforcement to facilitate cooperation with federal law enforcement and immigration enforcement and removal efforts.”
    • “Revitalizes our military by providing critical funding for the Department of Defense to strengthen the U.S. military to deter conflict and ensure our nation’s security.”
    • “Facilitates energy independence by unleashing American energy production through on and offshore lease sales, and stopping the Biden Administration’s natural gas tax, also known as the methane emissions fee.”
    • “Begins the Process of Restoring Fiscal Sanity by fully paying for the investments in our border security, national security and domestic energy production up front. Since these investments will be spent in four years, the legislation will be paid for in four years. The bill’s projected increased annual spending of $85.5 billion will be paid for by a projected $85.5 billion in reduced annual spending.” (U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget: Chairman Graham Unveils FY 2025 Budget Resolution To Secure The Border, Revitalize Our Military, Unleash American Energy Production And Begin The Process Of Restoring Fiscal Sanity – 2/7/25; U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget: Markup of Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Resolution - Day 1 – 2/12/25; U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget: Markup of Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Resolution - Day 2 – 2/13/25)