Ilhan Omar Wants to Strip ICE of $140 Billion to Pay Communities for Enforcement Raids

Breaking

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), joined by Rep. Angie Craig (D-Minn.) and several House Democrats, introduced the “Make ICE Pay Act” this week, legislation that would redirect approximately $140 billion in funding previously allocated to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection under the GOP’s tax and spending package. The money would instead flow to states and cities that have experienced federal immigration enforcement operations, covering everything from economic relief for small businesses to reimbursement of local operational costs.

Omar was blunt in describing her motivation for the bill. “For over a year, ICE has been tearing through our nation, leading racist terror campaigns that have caused devastating damage to our cities, to our businesses, and to the lives of our constituents,” she said. Pointing to a specific example, Omar added, “In Minneapolis, Operation Metro Surge cost our community nearly $700 million. We have a moral responsibility to end this abuse of power.”

Details & Background

The bill names several federal immigration operations it says caused damage warranting compensation, including Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, Operation Midway Blitz in Illinois, Operations Swamp Sweet and Catahoula Crunch in Louisiana, Operation Catch of the Day in Maine, Operation Charlotte’s Web in North Carolina, and Operation Black Rose in Oregon. Funds redirected under the bill could also support investigations, truth commissions, record preservation, and memorialization efforts related to those operations. The legislation is cosponsored by Reps. Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.), Janelle Bynum (D-Ore.), and Angie Craig (D-Minn.).

The $140 billion figure targeted by the bill stems from the immigration enforcement funding included in the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” the sweeping tax and spending package Republicans passed earlier this year that significantly expanded ICE and CBP’s budgets to support the administration’s border security and interior enforcement priorities. With Republicans controlling the House, the bill faces no realistic path to passage, but it represents one of the most direct legislative attempts yet by House Democrats to claw back that funding.

Reactions

The bill drew immediate backlash online, with critics questioning why federal resources would be redirected away from immigration enforcement and toward what some characterized as compensation for pushback against enforcement of the law. Online critics argued the proposal prioritizes non-citizens and people in the country illegally over American taxpayers, and raised concerns about oversight of how the redirected billions would actually be spent. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the legislation.

Omar’s Democratic cosponsors defended the bill as necessary accountability for what they describe as aggressive federal enforcement tactics in their districts. The legislation is unlikely to receive a vote in the Republican-controlled House Judiciary or Appropriations committees, both of which would need to sign off before any funding could be redirected, and no House GOP leader had publicly commented on the bill as of this writing.

Why This Matters to You

This bill is a test of just how far the debate over immigration enforcement funding has shifted in Washington. ICE and CBP received historic funding increases this year specifically to strengthen border security and remove people in the country illegally — the priorities voters sent Republicans to Washington to deliver. A serious legislative push to strip that funding, even symbolically, shows Democrats are prepared to fight the administration’s enforcement agenda on the House floor, not just in the courts or the streets.

For American taxpayers, the fight also raises a broader accountability question: should federal dollars appropriated for border security and interior immigration enforcement be redirected to fund local government programs instead? With illegal immigration and public safety remaining top issues for voters heading into the midterms, expect this bill — and the broader Democratic effort to defund ICE — to become a flashpoint in the 2026 campaign, even as it has virtually no chance of becoming law this Congress.