Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has raised concerns about the newly-passed “Big Beautiful Bill,” which has allocated $170 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The funding will support President Donald Trump-era immigration initiatives, including billions for detention facilities and the border wall. She warned that the bill will lead to increased ICE enforcement and negatively impact vulnerable communities.
Ocasio-Cortez strongly criticized the passage of Trump’s bill, particularly condemning its provisions related to ICE. Ocasio-Cortez warned of a potential “explosion” in ICE’s operations.
Ocasio-Cortez argued that the expansion of ICE would create a situation far worse than the current one, emphasizing that it has made the agency larger than the FBI, DEA, U.S. Bureau of Prisons, and other federal agencies combined.Ocasio-Cortez stated, “I don’t think anyone is prepared for what they just did w/ ICE.” She added, “This is not a simple budget increase. It is an explosion.”
Ocasio-Cortez condemned the bill for its lack of safeguards and expressed dismay at how it may harm vulnerable individuals. She said, “People are going to die. Livelihoods gone. All to feed a corrupt kleptocracy.”