ICE is considering conducting mass releases of immigrants after the bill’s failure in the Senate, according to a report

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plans to release thousands of immigrants and dramatically reduce its ability to hold detainees following the failure of a border security bill in the Senate, according to immigration officials. The Washington Post.

The bipartisan bill, largely stalled by opposition from Republican senators, would have eliminated a $700 million budget deficit for the agency by providing an additional $6 billion to boost its operations.

The project’s demise prompted ICE officials to circulate an internal proposal to save money by freeing thousands of detainees and reducing detention levels from 38,000 beds to 22,000, the exact opposite of the increases they had sought. However, Republicans voted against the bill.

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican favorite in the 2024 presidential campaign, boasted that he had influenced conservative lawmakers to block the border bill.

ICE’s budget deficit is on the order of $700 million – the largest the agency has faced in recent times – along with a proposal for the mass release of immigrants that the agency is considering, the situation looks complicated for the Biden administration in the spring when illegal crossings generally increase.

To cover the shortfall, the Department of Homeland Security could reprogram budget items for the Coast Guard, Transportation Security Administration and other agencies, but that could be a complicated and highly scrutinized operation, the report says. Post

Officials consulted for the report said a good part of the savings could come through mass release of detainees.

DHS spokeswoman Erin Heiter, quoted in the report, complained that Congress had “outrageously cut” the agency’s funding for the department’s “vital mission along the Southwest border.”

He said rejection of the bipartisan bill in the Senate would “jeopardize current DHS removal operations.”

“A reduction in ICE operations would significantly harm border security, national security, and public safety,” Heiter added.

Despite Republican complaints about border conditions, increased enforcement has led to a seasonal drop in illegal entries, according to the agency’s acting commissioner, Troy Miller.

Border Patrol apprehensions totaled 124,220 in January, down 50% from 249,735 in December, the highest monthly figure on record.