ICE says it needs more funding and tens of thousands of additional beds to implement the Laken Riley Act.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is telling lawmakers that the Lacun Riley Act, an anti-illegal immigration law expected to hit President-elect Trump’s desk in the coming weeks, will cost an additional $3 billion because the agency needs 60,000 more arrests. Beds.
ICE responded to questions from Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga., on the impact of the Laken Riley Act. The bill passed the House this month and is likely to pass the Senate. Requires DHS to detain illegal immigrants convicted of theft-related crimes.
It also allows states to sue DHS for allegedly failing to enforce immigration laws. The bill is named after Lachn Riley, a Georgia student who was killed last year by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela. He has the support of both Republicans and Democrats.
By 2024, BIDEN DHS exempts thousands of refugees from terrorism-related entry restrictions.
ICE agents are pictured arresting a man. ICE agents arrested an Indian man convicted of child sexual abuse. (ICE ERO El Paso/X)
In the letter obtained by Fox, the ISA stated that tens of thousands of illegal immigrants meet the criteria for arrest on the arrest docket and non-arrest docket. Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) estimates that the number of illegal immigrants who qualify nationally is more than 60,000. The letter was first reported by Politico.
“Because the Laken Riley Act requires ERO to immediately detain noncitizens, ERO needs at least 64,000 additional detention beds. However, this does not include other immigration enforcement orders that may require increased detention capacity.”
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ICE estimates that increasing that capacity would require approximately $3.2 billion in funding. In addition, it estimates the need for 10 new Mobile Crisis Assistance Teams (MCAT) and an HQ law enforcement officer in eight field offices, requiring an additional $15 million in related equipment.
In particular, he said that ERO currently has the authority to meet the requirements of the law and does not require any additional authorities.
The agency has warned it will have to evacuate tens of thousands of illegal immigrants if it doesn’t find more places to sleep.
An ICE agent watches hundreds of asylum seekers being processed as they enter the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building on June 6, 2023 in New York City. (David D. Delgado/Getty Images)
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“…(I)f additional funding is not available and ICE remains at its current capacity, the agency will not have the capacity to immediately arrest and detain non-citizens accused of or charged with property crimes,” it says. “ERO estimates that tens of thousands of stateless persons could be released by the end of the fiscal year, potentially releasing public safety concerns.”
For implementation challenges, he cites the presence of ICE officers, as well as the challenges of sanctuary cities: “Complicating matters is the lack of cooperation from ICE’s state and local law enforcement partners.”
This isn’t the first time ICE has sounded the alarm about funding levels, noting in its FY 24 report that it is already underfunded with existing responsibilities.
“Throughout the year, the agency is called upon to do more without adequate funding, working within tight resource constraints and competing priorities, and the Department of Homeland Security and constituent agencies are asked to steadfastly support their efforts to secure the border.” he said.
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President-elect Trump has promised to launch a campaign of mass deportations, in which the ICA will be the operative agency. In Congress, Republicans are preparing to make major financial changes in the budget reconciliation process. In the year Given the prominence of the issues in the 2024 election, border security and homeland security are likely to be top priorities for Republicans.