Deportations set to ‘explode’: Trump readies sweeping immigration crackdown for 2026
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and US Border Patrol are set to receive $170 billion in additional funding through September 2029, dramatically increasing their operational capacity.
- Dec 21, 2025,
- Updated Dec 21, 2025 9:19 PM IST
US President Donald Trump is preparing to significantly expand immigration enforcement in 2026, backed by an unprecedented surge in federal funding and a broader crackdown that will increasingly target workplaces, even as political backlash grows ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
The administration’s plans include billions of dollars in new resources for immigration agencies, thousands of additional enforcement officers, expanded detention capacity, and tougher rules governing employment-based visas such as H-1B — measures that could reshape the US labour market and employer-sponsored immigration system.
Massive funding boost for enforcement agencies
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and US Border Patrol are set to receive $170 billion in additional funding through September 2029, dramatically increasing their operational capacity, Reuters reported. The infusion comes on top of their existing combined annual budgets of roughly $19 billion, following the passage of a sweeping spending package by the Republican-controlled Congress in July, as per the report.
Officials say the funding will be used to hire thousands of new agents, open additional detention centres, expand cooperation with local jails, and partner with private companies to track down immigrants without legal status.
The surge follows months of stepped-up enforcement in major US cities, where federal agents have conducted sweeps in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods — operations that have at times sparked confrontations with residents.
While ICE carried out several high-profile raids on businesses earlier this year, it largely avoided farms, factories and other economically sensitive workplaces known to employ undocumented workers. That restraint is expected to ease.
White House border czar Tom Homan confirmed that expanded workplace enforcement is firmly part of the plan. “I think you're going to see the numbers explode greatly next year,” Homan told Reuters, adding that arrests would rise sharply as new officers are hired and detention capacity expands. He said the plans “absolutely” include more enforcement actions at workplaces.
Deportation push widens
The expanded enforcement comes as the Trump administration has moved to strip temporary legal protections from hundreds of thousands of Haitian, Venezuelan and Afghan immigrants, sharply expanding the pool of people eligible for deportation.
Trump has repeatedly pledged to deport 1 million immigrants per year, a goal administration officials acknowledge is unlikely to be met in 2025. Since Trump returned to office in January, approximately 622,000 immigrants have been deported, according to official figures.
Homan said the administration has already delivered on its promise of a “historic deportation operation,” focusing on removing criminals and reducing illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border.
The aggressive push comes despite growing signs of political backlash ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Critics argue that expanded workplace raids could disrupt local economies, worsen labor shortages and inflame tensions in immigrant communities.
The aggressive push comes despite growing signs of political backlash ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Critics argue that expanded workplace raids could disrupt local economies, worsen labor shortages and inflame tensions in immigrant communities.
New wage rules threaten H-1B employment
Parallel to the enforcement expansion, the administration is advancing a new regulation to tighten wage protections for H-1B and PERM employment visas, a move that could significantly raise costs for US employers hiring foreign workers.
The Department of Labor has submitted a proposal to the Office of Management and Budget titled “Improving Wage Protections for H-1B and PERM Employment.” While the full details remain confidential, the goal is to prioritize American workers by making it more expensive — and therefore less attractive — for companies to employ foreign professionals.
A similar effort during Trump’s previous term sought to overhaul the prevailing wage system by sharply increasing minimum salary requirements. That regulation faced legal challenges and was ultimately discarded during the Biden administration, which later dropped its own version after repeated delays.
If revived in its current form, the proposal would effectively exclude many H-1B workers by significantly raising prevailing wage levels, particularly for initial applications, extensions and job transfers.
According to industry estimates, roles that previously paid around $120,000 could be required to offer $230,000 to $240,000 to remain compliant under the new wage framework.
US President Donald Trump is preparing to significantly expand immigration enforcement in 2026, backed by an unprecedented surge in federal funding and a broader crackdown that will increasingly target workplaces, even as political backlash grows ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
The administration’s plans include billions of dollars in new resources for immigration agencies, thousands of additional enforcement officers, expanded detention capacity, and tougher rules governing employment-based visas such as H-1B — measures that could reshape the US labour market and employer-sponsored immigration system.
Massive funding boost for enforcement agencies
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and US Border Patrol are set to receive $170 billion in additional funding through September 2029, dramatically increasing their operational capacity, Reuters reported. The infusion comes on top of their existing combined annual budgets of roughly $19 billion, following the passage of a sweeping spending package by the Republican-controlled Congress in July, as per the report.
Officials say the funding will be used to hire thousands of new agents, open additional detention centres, expand cooperation with local jails, and partner with private companies to track down immigrants without legal status.
The surge follows months of stepped-up enforcement in major US cities, where federal agents have conducted sweeps in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods — operations that have at times sparked confrontations with residents.
While ICE carried out several high-profile raids on businesses earlier this year, it largely avoided farms, factories and other economically sensitive workplaces known to employ undocumented workers. That restraint is expected to ease.
White House border czar Tom Homan confirmed that expanded workplace enforcement is firmly part of the plan. “I think you're going to see the numbers explode greatly next year,” Homan told Reuters, adding that arrests would rise sharply as new officers are hired and detention capacity expands. He said the plans “absolutely” include more enforcement actions at workplaces.
Deportation push widens
The expanded enforcement comes as the Trump administration has moved to strip temporary legal protections from hundreds of thousands of Haitian, Venezuelan and Afghan immigrants, sharply expanding the pool of people eligible for deportation.
Trump has repeatedly pledged to deport 1 million immigrants per year, a goal administration officials acknowledge is unlikely to be met in 2025. Since Trump returned to office in January, approximately 622,000 immigrants have been deported, according to official figures.
Homan said the administration has already delivered on its promise of a “historic deportation operation,” focusing on removing criminals and reducing illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border.
The aggressive push comes despite growing signs of political backlash ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Critics argue that expanded workplace raids could disrupt local economies, worsen labor shortages and inflame tensions in immigrant communities.
The aggressive push comes despite growing signs of political backlash ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Critics argue that expanded workplace raids could disrupt local economies, worsen labor shortages and inflame tensions in immigrant communities.
New wage rules threaten H-1B employment
Parallel to the enforcement expansion, the administration is advancing a new regulation to tighten wage protections for H-1B and PERM employment visas, a move that could significantly raise costs for US employers hiring foreign workers.
The Department of Labor has submitted a proposal to the Office of Management and Budget titled “Improving Wage Protections for H-1B and PERM Employment.” While the full details remain confidential, the goal is to prioritize American workers by making it more expensive — and therefore less attractive — for companies to employ foreign professionals.
A similar effort during Trump’s previous term sought to overhaul the prevailing wage system by sharply increasing minimum salary requirements. That regulation faced legal challenges and was ultimately discarded during the Biden administration, which later dropped its own version after repeated delays.
If revived in its current form, the proposal would effectively exclude many H-1B workers by significantly raising prevailing wage levels, particularly for initial applications, extensions and job transfers.
According to industry estimates, roles that previously paid around $120,000 could be required to offer $230,000 to $240,000 to remain compliant under the new wage framework.