ICE Is Draining Funds From FEMA

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is siphoning ever more resources and personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, threatening national preparedness for climate disasters.

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Department of Homeland Security police outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Baltimore, Maryland, Monday, August 25, 2025. (Graeme Sloan / Bloomberg via Getty Images)


Last year, in the final months of the Biden administration, the federal government’s internal watchdog agency issued a warning: Thanks to a loophole granted by federal lawmakers, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the nation’s immigration enforcement agency, was overspending — at the expense of other federal priorities like disaster relief.

It was a sign of things to come.

As the Trump administration carries out its sweeping immigration crackdown, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is siphoning ever more resources and personnel from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

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