The 'Big Beautiful Bill' Funds an Expensive Immigration Crackdown
Billions upon billions of dollars are allocated for border screening technology, immigration detention facilities, more ICE agents, and building a border wall.

President Donald Trump signed his One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law on Friday. The sweeping legislation includes boosts to military funding, more taxpayer financing of state-sponsored events, and massive appropriations to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Here are some of the bill's largest line items aimed at implementing Trump's immigration crackdown.
1. Over $6 Billion for Autonomous Screening Technology at the Border
The OBBBA will "combat the entry or exit of illicit narcotics at ports of entry" by procuring "new nonintrusive inspection equipment," including artificial intelligence (AI), air and marine operations, surveillance technologies, and biometric entry and exit systems to screen individuals. None of the funds may be used for the procurement or deployment of surveillance towers along the northern or southern borders, unless Customs and Border Patrol has tested and accepted that the towers deliver "autonomous capabilities," or "a system designed to apply artificial intelligence…to accurately detect, identify, classify, and track items of interest in real time…without the active engagement of personnel or continuous human command or control."
The implementation of this technology should be met with scrutiny. Few guidelines exist on the federal government's use of AI, which invites risks to due process and civil liberties for both migrants and American citizens. While "border security" sounds like an appealing use case to some, without transparency and limitations on how and when the technology can be used, the tools could be adapted to meet other ends. In fact, it has already happened—Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are currently using facial recognition technology that was designed to track border crossings in the field to aid in Trump's immigration crackdown.
2. $56.5 Billion To Build a Border Wall
The "big beautiful bill" will increase physical barriers to immigration by allocating a little over $46.5 billion to the DHS for "border infrastructure and [a] wall system." This funding will be used to construct or improve "primary, waterborne, and secondary barriers," install cameras and other detection technology along the border, and construct and maintain "the barrier system." The OBBBA also creates a $10 billion State Border Security Reinforcement Fund at the DHS that will reimburse states for building a wall along the southern border or capturing and relocating undocumented immigrants.
The estimated costs to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border range from a conservative $12 billion to more than $70 billion, which doesn't include land acquisition costs. Despite campaign promises to build the wall in 2016, Trump completed only 452 miles during his first term—only 80 miles of which were new barriers, with the remaining 372 miles replacing existing structures built by previous administrations. Trump's first-term border wall construction cost taxpayers $15 billion, or about $33 million per mile of border wall.
3. Nearly $75 billion for ICE's Mass Arrest and Detention Campaign
The OBBBA supersizes ICE's detention budget by providing the agency with $45 billion for "single adult alien detention capacity and family residential center capacity." This "represents a 265 percent annual budget increase to ICE's current detention budget," according to the American Immigration Council, and is "a 62 percent larger budget than the entire federal prison system [that] could result in the daily detention of at least 116,000 non-citizens." This comes alongside nearly $29.9 billion in additional funding for new ICE personnel, transportation costs, and facility maintenance—a more than threefold increase from ICE's $9.5 billion budget in FY 2024. Such a dramatic budget increase could substantially expand the agency's ability to make arrests.
ICE's limited detention capacity—officially set at 47,600 beds, though it was holding 56,397 earlier this year—has become a roadblock to Trump's mass deportation goals. The bottleneck has pushed the administration to experiment with new and controversial ways of detaining migrants, such as sending detainees to El Salvador and the opening a new state-run immigration detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz." But spending billions of dollars to increase space will do little to address the systemic failures of the U.S. immigration system. "Throwing billions at detention centers and enforcement agents is short-sighted," said Adriel Orozco, senior policy counsel at the American Immigration Council. "Instead, we should be investing in a system aimed at welcoming immigrants that contribute billions to our economy."
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Awesome! Full stream ahead.
The status quo funds much more expensive illegal welfare state. Reason seems ignorant to this.
Absolutely! I'm finally getting what I voted for, for a change.
Strange sensation, but I like it.
Donald was elected to do this and he is. Good.
“agents are currently using facial recognition technology that was designed to track border crossings in the field to aid in Trump's immigration crackdown. “
They ARE tracking border crossings, just after the fact.
Yup! If Biden hadn't steamrolled our country with millions of illegals it wouldn't cost a dime but here we are. I'm willing to pay taxes to send all of them back to their home countries so they can apply following the law.
That's why we elected Trump,
astounding, a politician actually doing
what he promised
Money well spent for a change.
This was definitely a “feel good” story.
I was wondering where Trump's loyal, unaccountable paramilitary force will come from. Now we know. The idea that illegal immigration is so bad that it is worth such a massive amount of money and a massive paramilitary force is absurd. Immigration is a pretense for a Trump controlled group that is big enough to enforce his will on the states.
This is fascism and should scare the hell out of anyone.
"First they came for the wetbacks and I didn't give a shit. Then they came for the towelheads and I didn't give a shit. Then those weirdos with the red dot on their forehead and I didn't give a shit. Then people who went to mosques and I didn't give a shit. Then anyone who spoke funny and I didn't give a shit. Then anyone who wasn't a white, Anglo-Saxon protestant and I didn't give a shit. And I still don't give a shit." -what some MAGA said during Trump's fourth term.
Sarc, no matter how much you simp, Molly just isn’t going to fuck you.
Tony may fuck him though.
“Fuck those people”, right?
Thanks random lefty reddit poster.
Lmao. But think of the federal jobs Molly and of course during Obama admin they built up from 18k to 22k border patrol agents so those are loyal to Obama. If only MAGA vs H&C guards fought it out in your silly little fantasy.
Illegals cost the US at a minimum 80B a year. Fuck off doc retard.
Lol. No, it only scares the hell out of gullible idiots like you, molly. Deporting people in the country illegally is not controversial.
paranoia self destroya...
Why have you not realized all the fear mongering, crisis and doom predictions about Trump and the GOP have not ever came true? You have let your hate blind you to reality.
Think of the money already saved from the over 1 million illegals that self deported!
Where's the accounting and why aren't you complaining about Feeding, housing, educating, providing medical care and transportation for millions or people that are not citizens or legal residents and no one other than these illegal border jumping asylum seekers are entitled too?
Either way Biden and the democrats unlawfully expropriated funds from somewhere to pay for the millions of illegals and these costs are now being greatly reduced by the deportation actions underway.
It apparently scared you,you better get that TDS treated
We understand you open borders zealots would rather that money go to import millions of illegals to your blue enclaves and pay for their lives but the rest of us are not retarded.
More open immigration laws would greatly benefit the US economy. The MAGA obsession with hating all immigrants is asinine.
Ironic that many MAGAs would have opposed their own grandparents and great-grandparents entering the country.
My g-grandparents didn't sneak in.
My g-grandparents didn't consume any welfare.
My g-grandparents assimilated to American culture.
My g-grandparents didn't fly the flags of the Euro shitholes they fled from.
My -grandparents did not demand anything from the citizens of America.
My grandparents didn't scream "Death to America!" while attending college.
Maybe eventually you'll grasp the differences between emigrating and trespassing.
It is sad and pathetic that MAGAs view immigrants in that way. So hateful and full of spite.
It is sad and pathetic that you’re such a retarded troll, Molly.
What's more racist... yours and sarc views that illegals are needed as semi indentured servants to do menial jobs, or those of us who want legal merit based immigration?
We all know what sarc thinks should be done to trespassers don’t we?
Trump is creating illegals by revoking legal status for people who followed the rules, he is making it more difficult to qualify to immigrate here legally, and he's increasing the amount of dollars that people must pay. This isn't just about criminals or illegal immigration. That's a lie. It's about immigration as a whole. And you're cheering him on. So I maintain that you would have opposed your g-grandparents entering the country because you're cheering a man who is kicking out people who followed the rules and putting up more barriers to legal immigration. Fuck you.
I would be singing a different tune if Trump was making it easier for people who just want to work to come here and work. You know, increasing or eliminating quotas while excluding known criminals and people with diseases. Easing the minds of people concerned with immigrants going on welfare by making it easier for immigrants to work and harder for them to get assistance. That would be great. Instead he's raising the cost of work permits. Permits your g-grandparents didn't need because that was when you didn't need government permission to get a fucking job.
Stop lying, drunky.
Are you kidding? I readily admit my great-grandfather would not make the cut. He never achieved more than being a migrant laborer and a grifter, and, thanks to FDR, he was on the dole when died. He had the good luck to be born in Illinois in the 1890s and still ended up as real life Grapes of Wrath white trash.
Hmm, maybe my distrust of migrants has something to do with a long history of experience with migrants? Is that weird? Oh, and migrants are uneducated, superstitious and racist as hell. Yes, even Mexicans.
So you would be singing a different tune if the USA simply scrapped immigration, opened it's borders and allowed Soros and the UN to take control of the country essentially ruled by China?
Yeah you are a true commie.
No, that’s now what I said. Though I’m sure you scored some points with that comment. Get enough and one of my stalkers might reward you. Hubba hubba.
You're right, "that's now what I said," Sarc. Own your words, you typed them.
Well writ
Youre getting more retarded the more you go left.
No one ever said they hate all immigrants except you and the other retarded trolls here.
Based on what data?
No one hates immigrants. What color is the sky in your world?
More
openselective and effectively enforced immigration laws would greatly benefit the US economy.Fixed it.
Is it too much to ask for them to spend the supposedly saved Doge money on homeless vets ? We can all agree on something as simple as that, right ?
Doge did not save any money. They are net in the red.
Upset they took away USAID, Molly? Cry harder.
USAID was wasted money,that only made DOGE fruitful
This remains false.
That's not true. I think DOGE saved about a day's worth of federal spending.
“Not worth the trouble”.
You are against all cuts and audits. We get it.
? What? Please stop spewing the garbage swirling around in your head because it is not real.
Oh you poor thing,TDS is painful
So changing the subject to not engage, classic loser Marxist tactic. GFY.
Trump's first-term border wall construction cost taxpayers $15 billion, or about $33 million per mile of border wall.
So, much cheaper than California's choo choo train tracks?
$11 billion spent - 119 miles of high-speed right-of-way and the construction of 85 structures, no actual laying of track.
What a waste. Border was pretty fine until Biden. And since we're broke, we can't afford more union workers.
So how much should the government spend on it's constitutional responsibility to manage the borders? A lot? A little? Zero? A demented old man spent billions bringing unvetted aliens in including free airfare and luxury accommodations. All of this would be a lot cheaper if Reason's favored candidate hadn't been coronated 5 years ago. Sorry Autumn. You fucked up. Sooner or later the bills have to be paid and that day has come.
The primary reason for the Fed is National Defense which starts at the border
Not only that but he's creating new illegals by revoking visas and parole for people who didn't break any rules, while making it more cumbersome and expensive to enter the country legally.
Anyone who thinks this is just about illegal immigration is a fool or a liar.
Cancelling visas means they are easy to find since their phone number and address are on file. Easier to catch means more deportations numbers.
Because no one ever changes addresses or phone numbers, right? Especially not renters. Or students. Or temp workers.
Can you two just get a room?
Molly and Sarc are extreme exhibitionists.
Like doctor retard, sarc doesn't understand what the word temporary means in TPS.
Also demands government steal from citizens to support his foreigner fetish.
sarcasmic means "troll" in Douchian. His comments can pretty much be ignored as socialist-TDS-sex-panther-crap, 100% of 70% of the time.
Who’s sock are you?
Sarc: “I’ve heard some say that about me before, I’ll just say it myself!”
Chalk up "sock puppet" as a term Sarc doesn't understand.
I noticed that
what the word temporary means in TPS.
TPS is a totem. Remember the guy ICE arrested who was being asked about his criminal record for murder shouting TPS?
They also don't understand what "protected" means. What TPS is temporarily protecting people FROM is deportation for illegal entry. Everyone on TP status entered the country illegally—otherwise they would not be eligible for it.
25 years isnt long enough for Nicaragua to recover from the hurricane!
I'd be for a Moratorium on all immigration for say,3 years
Crackdown!
wake us up when you learn what liberty means.
"Despite campaign promises..." didn't build a wall in 2016. Duh! Because Congress wouldn't fund it. Guess what DUMBASS? Congress just funded it.
Trump does many stupid things, 1) they are NOT all bad, and 2) they are majority an improvement from the ridiculous, totalitarian Biden administration. NOTHING positive is reported here. We can simply go back to MSNBC or CNN and get the same stupid sky is falling messages. You are providing no Reason to read Reason.
Kinda wish you had given the GOP the border wall and E-verify in exchange for amnesty, back when they were scared of “demographic destiny”, huh?
Reason should look back to the tea party era as a HUGE missed opportunity. Since then the socialists have taken over the Democrat party far more than the LP did to the GOP.
I think Musk believes he will have Taxed Enough Already party type following. I doubt it.
Nope he will be as popular as the green party.
But not quite as popular as "The Rent Is Too Damn High" party.
The rent IS too damn high—thanks to excessive regulation of housing construction and renting.
Exactly.
BREAKING NEWS: President's budget includes funds to enforce the law!!!
I'm shocked, I tell you, shocked!
And the amount of the funds is large because the problem was allowed to get out of control. Shocked.
So? Do you see that as any kind of a problem, that the federal government does a job assigned to the federal government?
Because national sovereignty is important, and no, I'm not an "open borders" libertarian.
I thought Reason was against this legislation. Yet, here they are giving it glowing reviews.
Weird.