Secure America Act

The funding significantly increases federal personnel, technology, detention and removal operations, drug interdiction, and cooperation with state and local authorities.

What the law does ​

• Provides $22.57 billion to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for staffing, immigration enforcement, screening, surveillance, biometric systems, air and marine operations, and drug interdiction.
• Provides $38.525 billion to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for staffing, investigations, removals, transportation, facilities, technology, legal support, and other operations.
• Dedicates $108.5 million to child-exploitation investigations, forensic analysis, victim identification and rescue, and related training.
• Requires at least $350 million for enforcement involving specified adults in jurisdictions that do not meet federal cooperation requirements, excluding tribal governments.
• Provides the Department of Homeland Security an additional $5 billion for authorized purposes under the law and existing law.
• Restricts certain spending, including funding for untested surveillance towers and most community releases or alternatives to detention for specified individuals.

Who it affects ​

• Border Patrol agents, immigration officers, investigators, analysts, legal staff, and other Department of Homeland Security personnel.
• Adults subject to immigration detention, monitoring, transportation, arrest, departure, or removal.
• State and local authorities assisting federal immigration enforcement, including jurisdictions that do not meet federal cooperation requirements.
• Children exploited by criminals and personnel involved in identifying and rescuing victims.

Breakdown ​

TITLE I, COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS ​

This title provides $22.95 billion in additional fiscal year 2026 funding for Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and other Department of Homeland Security activities, with funds generally available through September 30, 2029. It supports personnel, child-exploitation investigations, border screening and surveillance technology, air and marine capabilities, drug-interdiction efforts, biometric entry and exit systems, and related operations, while limiting specified immigration and customs enforcement uses.

Key takeaways

• Customs and Border Protection receives $9.55 billion to hire, pay, train, and equip Border Patrol agents and support personnel for duties other than immigration enforcement and customs functions.
• After October 31, 2028, the Customs and Border Protection personnel funding cannot be used to recruit, hire, or train processing coordinators.
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement receives $7.45 billion for Homeland Security Investigations personnel, mission support, operations, and maintenance outside its immigration and customs enforcement missions.
• Of the Homeland Security Investigations funding, $108.5 million is dedicated to child-exploitation investigators, forensic analysts, victim identification and rescue work, and related training for federal, state, and local personnel.
• Customs and Border Protection receives $3.45 billion for inspection equipment, border surveillance, air and marine response platforms, biometric entry and exit systems, drug-interdiction efforts, and related support, but unaccepted surveillance towers lacking tested autonomous capabilities cannot be funded.
• The Department of Homeland Security receives an additional $2.5 billion for the purposes covered by this title.

TITLE II, COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY ​

This title provides $46.595 billion in additional fiscal year 2026 funding for federal immigration enforcement, available through September 30, 2029. It funds Customs and Border Protection personnel and operations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement staffing and removal activities, and additional Department of Homeland Security purposes authorized by this title and specified existing law.

Key takeaways

• Customs and Border Protection receives $13.02 billion to hire, pay, train, and equip agents and support staff and to fund immigration enforcement operations and maintenance.
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement receives $31.075 billion for personnel, transportation for departures and removals, information technology, facilities, vehicles, legal staff, mission support, and enforcement operations.
• The ICE funding supports expanded agreements that allow state and local authorities to assist with federal immigration enforcement.
• At least $350 million must support detainers, custody transfers, monitoring, transportation, and arrests involving specified adults in jurisdictions that do not meet federal cooperation requirements, while tribal governments are excluded from that category.
• The specified $350 million generally may not be used to release covered individuals into the community, place them in alternatives to detention, or facilitate their release, except when existing law requires it.
• The Department of Homeland Security receives an additional $2.5 billion for purposes authorized by this title and specified provisions of existing law.