By Vanguard Staff
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Immigration advocates are condemning a newly-signed federal budget bill that allocates an additional $70 billion to federal immigration enforcement operations, arguing the measure expands detention and deportation efforts while further undermining due process protections.
President Donald Trump signed the legislation this week, providing what advocates describe as a major increase in funding for federal immigration agencies without accompanying reforms or oversight measures. According to the Fairness to Freedom campaign, the new funding comes on top of more than $170 billion previously appropriated by Congress, providing resources for immigration enforcement activities throughout the remainder of Trump’s term.
The Fairness to Freedom campaign, a coalition advocating for universal legal representation in immigration proceedings, criticized the legislation amid concerns about rising deaths in immigration detention facilities and the implementation of new large-scale immigration court proceedings.
In a statement, Nicole Melaku, executive director of the National Partnership for New Americans and co-leader of the Fairness to Freedom campaign, said lawmakers have ignored widespread opposition to expanded immigration enforcement.
“Congress and the White House have chosen to ignore the nation’s cries for ‘ICE out’ of our communities,” Melaku said. “Using public dollars to further expand the mass deportation machine is an unacceptable misalignment with the people’s priorities.”
Melaku argued that the federal government is prioritizing immigration enforcement over other public concerns.
“While health care, the cost of living, and civil rights continue to be top concerns for the American people, this Congress further cements ICE as the largest enforcement agency in U.S. history,” she said.
She called on Congress to redirect funding away from detention and enforcement programs and instead invest in legal representation for individuals facing immigration proceedings.
“Instead of funding detention camps and attacks on due process, Congress should be protecting families and upholding the Constitution by investing in access to legal representation for people in immigration proceedings,” Melaku said.
Melaku emphasized the role legal representation can play in immigration cases.
“When workers, breadwinners, and caregivers are represented, it can mean the difference between remaining rooted in community or being torn from loved ones and livelihoods; it can mean the difference between life or death,” she said.
Shayna Kessler, director of the Advancing Universal Representation initiative at the Vera Institute of Justice and co-leader of the Fairness to Freedom campaign, also criticized the legislation, arguing it expands the authority of federal immigration agencies without addressing concerns about due process or public well-being.
“Instead of advancing solutions that promote due process and public health and safety, nearly all Republicans in Congress have chosen to further empower rogue immigration agencies,” Kessler said.
Kessler pointed to the growing number of individuals held in immigration detention facilities across the country.
“Tens of thousands of people—including babies and children, breadwinners and parents—are languishing in ICE detention and being denied a fair chance to defend their rights,” she said.
Kessler called on Congress to reverse the funding increase and redirect resources toward social services and constitutional protections.
“Congress must claw back this harmful investment and instead invest in the resources that people need to create safe and stable communities: health care, education, nutrition, housing, and the infrastructure necessary to uphold and protect people’s constitutional rights,” Kessler said.
The new funding measure is expected to significantly expand federal immigration operations in the coming years, intensifying an ongoing national debate over immigration enforcement, detention practices and access to legal representation. Advocacy groups opposing the legislation have pledged to continue pushing for policies they say prioritize due process and community stability over expanded detention and deportation efforts.
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