Trump Administration Weighs Diverting Funds from TSA, Coast Guard to Cover ICE Deportation Costs
Budget Shortfalls Force Officials to Consider Funding Transfers Amid Mass Deportation Push
The Trump administration is exploring ways to redirect funds from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the Coast Guard, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to cover budget shortfalls at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to sources familiar with internal discussions. The potential funding shifts come as ICE ramps up deportations in line with President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies.
Under federal law, the administration has some authority to transfer money between agencies within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), though such moves require congressional notification and must adhere to specific budgetary limits. While prior administrations have also reallocated funds to support ICE operations, Trump’s aggressive deportation efforts have created an urgent need for additional resources.
Funding Challenges and Growing Costs
ICE has been grappling with financial constraints for years. Before Trump’s return to office, the agency already faced a $230 million budget shortfall while averaging 282 arrests per day. Now, officials have been directed to increase daily arrests to between 1,200 and 1,500, a move that will significantly increase operational costs.
During the Biden administration, the average cost of deporting one person—including arrest, detention, and transportation—was approximately $10,500. If that figure holds, deporting just 1 million people would cost the government $10.5 billion—exceeding ICE’s entire annual operating budget of roughly $9 billion.
A Government Accountability Office report from May revealed that between 2014 and 2023, DHS reallocated $1.8 billion to ICE to address funding gaps, with much of the money coming from TSA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Coast Guard.
The Trump administration’s potential plan to pull funds from TSA could spark backlash, especially if it leads to longer security lines at airports. Cuts to the Coast Guard, which plays a crucial role in national security and disaster response, could also raise concerns. Trump has previously criticized both CISA and the Coast Guard, even firing the Coast Guard’s commandant upon taking office.
Expanding ICE’s Enforcement Efforts
To address staffing shortages, the Trump administration is calling on other federal law enforcement agencies—including the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)—to assist ICE in identifying and detaining migrants.
Former acting ICE Director P.J. Lechleitner warned that this approach could strain other critical law enforcement operations.
“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) may have to shift resources away from combatting human trafficking, drug smuggling, and financial crimes to focus more on immigration enforcement,” Lechleitner said. “It’s a zero-sum game.”
Political and Budgetary Implications
Congress will need to be notified of any funding transfers, and existing rules limit how much can be reallocated. In fiscal year 2023, DHS moved approximately $400 million to ICE, which covered the deportation of fewer than 40,000 individuals. The administration’s broader deportation goals will require significantly more resources.
Trump has repeatedly vowed to deport “millions and millions” of undocumented immigrants. However, achieving that goal within ICE’s current budgetary constraints would require significant financial maneuvers, raising concerns about potential impacts on other DHS agencies.
As the administration pushes forward with its immigration crackdown, lawmakers and agency officials will need to weigh the trade-offs between border enforcement and other critical national security priorities.