WASHINGTON — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has requested funding and resources to add about 10,000 officers and personnel under a newly enacted homeland security funding package, according to Department of Homeland Security officials and congressional budget documents, as the agency undertakes a major expansion of immigration enforcement operations.
The staffing increase is tied to legislation signed by President Donald Trump on June 10 that provides tens of billions of dollars in additional funding for immigration enforcement through 2029. The measure allocates approximately $38 billion to ICE and additional funding to other Homeland Security agencies, according to the administration and congressional summaries of the law. search Service reports and DHS budget materials show that ICE has been seeking substantial increases in funding, detention capacity and operational resources as the administration expands immigration enforcement efforts. Existing budget documents indicate the agency employed more than 21,000 personnel before the latest funding package, though the newly authorized hiring initiative would significantly increase that workforce over several years.
Department officials have publicly discussed plans to recruit and train thousands of additional officers. During a congressional hearing earlier this month, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said ICE would restore its standard training program beginning in July after revising curriculum requirements amid the hiring effort, according to remarks reported by multiple media outlets.
The expansion has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers and immigrant-rights advocates, who have questioned the scale of the funding increase and called for additional oversight of enforcement activities. House Democrats opposed the immigration funding package during congressional consideration, arguing that it provided broad authority for expanded enforcement operations without sufficient accountability measures, according to congressional debate and public statements.
Supporters of the measure, including Republican lawmakers and administration officials, have said the additional personnel and funding are necessary to enforce immigration laws, strengthen border security and support ongoing deportation operations.
Federal planning for the expansion is already underway. Government officials have sought additional office space and support infrastructure in anticipation of hiring thousands of new enforcement officers, attorneys and support personnel, according to federal records and reports reviewed by major news organizations.
The timeline for hiring all 10,000 additional officers remains subject to recruitment, training and appropriations processes. DHS officials have said recruiting efforts are continuing, while details regarding the distribution of new personnel among ICE divisions have not been fully disclosed.
