ICE’s $230 million budget shortfall might delay Trump’s mass deportation plans

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy President-elect Donald Trump could face major funding obstacles with his “day one” plan to carry out mass deportations – a process that could cost an estimated $88 billion – given the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is already facing budget shortfalls. ICE, the federal agency tasked with handling border crime and enforcing immigration laws, reportedly has a $230 million budget shortfall, two U.S. officials familiar with the figure told NBC News. open image in gallery ICE, the federal agency tasked with handling border crime and enforcing immigration law, has a massive shortfall and it could impact Donald Trump’s plans for mass deportations To carry out a mass deportation of its kind, the American Immigration Council, a nonprofit that advocates for fairer immigration policies, estimates it would cost $88 billion – about $80 billion more than what ICE is allocated now. open image in gallery That budget shortfall is part of the agency’s history of being underfunded while being increasingly utilized One way the incoming Trump administration could get around some of the funding problem is by utilizing other federal agencies or local and state law enforcement agencies to assist in apprehending and detaining undocumented immigrants.